Incubus curse
by Kalerin
Summary: Raped by his uncle, Harry is now mute. Mates with Malfoy, Harry is now pregnant. Yeah, that just about sums up Harry's life right now. What else can go wrong? Oops, he shouldn't have asked that. Slash H/D Alive!Sirius Good!Snape Mpreg rape and blood
1. The beginning of the nightmare

"Harry?" Hermione called, trying to rouse her friend. She knew he was always despondent at the beginning of the year but this was worse than normal. He hadn't said one word since getting on the train. In fact, all he'd done was stare out the window. "Harry?"

Harry glanced at Hermione and offered her a weak smile before turning back to the window. He wanted to explain everything to her. Out of all of his friends he knew she would understand. She could help him fix things; help him heal. But the words wouldn't come. They never would.

"Leave him alone Hermione," Ron said around the food in his mouth. "If he wanted to tell us what's wrong he would." Harry smiled bitterly. No he wouldn't because he couldn't. His uncle made sure of that.

"You're so insensitive," Hermione scolded but she still watched Harry nervously. She'd never seen him so depressed. "Harry, are you sure you're alright?" Again, Harry turned and tried to smile. He really didn't want her to worry.

Sighing silently, Harry shifted so he could sleep. At least, he hoped he'd sleep. He certainly felt safer here then he did at his uncle's house. However, he would feel safer in Voldemort's arms then he did at that house. Not a good feeling.

* * *

><p>"Boy!" Sighing, Harry rolled off his bed and went downstairs.<p>

"Yes Uncle Vernon?" he asked meekly, entering the kitchen. Was the blimp hungry? Lunch had only finished ten minutes ago.

"Take that box in the hall down to the basement and wait for me there," Vernon ordered, fiddling with something Harry couldn't see. Checking his annoyed sigh Harry obeyed. The box was bulky but rather light so the raven carried it easily. He was a little surprised to see the once cluttered basement was sort of neat. There was also a bed that he was sure hadn't been there before. Confused, he set the box down and waited.

A sudden click made Harry whirl around, his eyes widening. However, he froze when he saw the pistol pointed at his face. Oh shit.

"Strip," Vernon ordered. Harry shakily obeyed, his eyes never leaving the gun. Once he was totally naked his uncle gestured to the box. "Open it," he growled. Again, Harry obeyed. Looking inside the box he suddenly felt ill. It was full of sex toys and most looked painful. Still pointing the pistol at Harry's head, Vernon reached into the box and pulled out two items. Harry recognized the handcuffs but the ball on the strip of cloth confused him. "Get on the bed, hands on the head rail," Vernon growled. With no other choice, Harry obeyed. As the handcuffs chained him to the bed his mind finally snapped out of its terror induced paralysis.

He was about to be raped.

"No!" he shouted, trying to pull back but it was to late as the hundcuffs tightened around his wrists and the ball was shoved into his mouth. The strap was tied around his head harshly, gagging him. Desperate, Harry reached for his magic core, not giving a damn that he was underage for a few more hours. But no matter how far he reached he couldn't reach his magic.

"Don't bother trying to use your magic, Freak," Vernon chuckled, finally putting the pistol down and stroking Harry's cock, loving the terror in the boy's eyes. "Petunia told me your bitch of a mother lost her magic if she took normal medicine. So I've been drugging you with Advil all week." A suddenly sharp tug on his cock made Harry's eyes water. "You're just going to have to take it."

Before Harry could process that a dildo was shoved up his ass, ripping a scream out from around the gag. "Perfect size," Vernon grunted, seeing the boy's ass tear. "You should enjoy this, bitch. This dildo is a replica of a cat's cock, complete with spines, just enlarged." To prove his point he pulled the dildo part way out, listening to the boy's muffled screams as the spikes scraped his insides. Blood tricled down his leg, making Vernon harden in excitement. He loved when his partner was in pain.

Without warning Vernon started pumping the dildo in and out of his nephew's ass. He made sure the pain never eased, savoring every grunt and scream. The show was so good he pulled his cock out and jerked it in timie with his pumping. As his balls tightened he angled his cock so that he came all over Harry's face.

"That's right slut," the older man panted, recovering from his orgasm. "You're just a toy; a slut. The only good you can off is sex." He ripped the dildo out, licking his lips at the sight of blood. Before Harry could recover Vernon grabbed the anal beads and started shoving them in. The boy screamed as Vernon laughed, having soaked the beads in alcohol before. Bead after bead entered Harry's ass until all fifteen were inserted. Then, hardly waiting for Harry to take a breath, he shoved his cock in.

A scream tore itself out of Harry's throat. He could feel the bile bubbling in his throat and tried to swallow it down. There was no way he was going to deal with vomit trapped in his mouth on top of everything else. It was a stupid thought and insane that it even existed but it allowed Harry a miniscule amount of control.

"You're so tight," Vernon grunted, thrusting fiercely. He could feel his cock pushing the beads deeper and deeper in the boy's bowels. Somewhere in his mind he knew that the freak would be injured before of his actions but he didn't care. It would serve the boy right to die for such a reason and at least he was getting pleasure out of his nephews pain first. "Good slut," he praised, yanking Harry's head back. "You're such a good slut. You're taking me so deep. You like this, don't you?" Harry sobbed and shook his head. "You don't?" Vernon laughed. "I do. I love your screams and your blood. I love how you fight me and it just makes you tighter." Harry tried to wrench away but was pulled back harshly. "Get used to it boy. You're my bitch now." Harry tried to shake his head again but instead arched away as his uncle came violently inside him. The cum seared into his bowels, wrenching another sob from the boy.

"Good job slut," Vernon panted, pulling his cock out of the boy's abused ass. "You gave me exactly what I wanted." Before any of the blood or cum could leak out of the ass he shoved a large butt plug into his nephew. He smiled evilly as the attached fox tail swayed slightly. Maybe next time he'd dress the boy up like a fox before fucking him into oblivion. If the freak survived that is.

"Happy Birthday," he snarled before the knife in his hand suddenly slit Harry's throat.

Harry jerked, his eyes shooting wide open as blood sprayed before him. His arms finally gave out and he collapsed as his uncle redressed and left. For a moment Harry was sure that his uncle wouldn't leave him to die. But then he heard his aunt's voice and knew it was true. He'd been left to die. For one insane moment he wanted to laugh. Voldemort was going to be pissed.

Harry wasn't sure how long he'd been there. Probably only a couple minutes. After all, he was still alive even though it was just barely. He heard someone come downstairs and closed his eyes. He didn't want to see his uncle again before he died. But the gasp and thud wasn't his uncle. For a moment he struggled before finally opening his eyes.

Of all the things he was expecting to see his aunt collapsed on the floor nearby wasn't one.

"Harry," she breathed, her eyes wide in shock. She suddenly scrambled forward, grabbing a sheet and moving toward Harry. He flinched away, thinking she was going to smother him. Instead she put the sheet over his slit throat, trying to stop the bleeding. "What has he done?" she nearly sobbed. "What has he done, what has he done, what has he done?" she gently carded her hand through Harry's hair, untying the gag and removing it. "Please hold on Harry," she begged. Harry tried to reassure her but when he found he couldn't talk he instead held her hand.

They stayed like that for hours, Harry slipping away while Petunia tried to hold on to him. She was just about to give up when the clock struck midnight. On the first chime Harry gasped and wrenched away from her. Petunia could only watch as, with each chime, Harry's body pulsed with light. With the final chime Harry screamed as his throat sealed itself. Then everything was silent as he collapsed.

"Harry?" Petunia called after a moment. Harry groaned and slowly pushed himself off the floor. His eyes fluttered open and he slowly focused on his aunt. For a tense moment neither moved until Harry suddenly smiled. "Oh Harry," Petunia sobbed, pulling the boy into her arms. Harry hugged her back for a moment before pulling back slightly. He smiled again and his mouth started moving…

…but there was no sound.

Harry froze, realizing he couldn't talk. Petunia's eyes widened in horror before she burst into sobs again. For a moment they just held each other, sobbing quietly. Finally, Petunia pulled away, her eyes hard. Get your things," she ordered. "We're leaving right now." Harry nodded before racing up the stars. He wasted a moment the redress, only then realizing that he had been naked the entire time, before throwing everything he had in his trunk and hauling it downstairs. Petunia was waiting for him, her own bag packed.

"Lily once mentioned the Knight Bus," she told him, ushering him outside. "Can you summon it?" she asked. Harry nodded grimly, holding his wand out. The Bus arrived with a bang, making Petunia jump. Harry didn't wait for Stan to greet him, instead pulling his aunt on to the Bus. She briefly told Stan their destination before crawling onto a bed with Harry.

The ride itself terrified Petunia. Harry heard her mutter darkly about the shrunken head several times. A couple times he nearly smiled. But then he'd remember what had happened to him and the mirth would vanish. The Bus suddenly stopped, throwing Harry forward. Petunia nearly scrambled off while Harry followed more sedately. He was sort of surprised to find himself before the Leaky Cauldron. He glanced at Petunia and she smiled wanly. "Lily mentioned it," she said weakly. Just how much had his mother mentioned?

Tow was quick to get Harry and his aunt a room. He even volunteered to help Petunia contact a Healer she knew. At Harry's surprised look she shrugged and admitted that she had met the healer through Lily. Harry scowled at her, wondering how much she'd kept from him. He didn't have to wait long as she settled on the bed and motioned for him to join her.

"I guess I should explain," she sighed although a tiny smile appeared when he threw her a 'no-duh' look. "Not everything you've heard about me and Lily is false. I did hate Lily for many years. She was always the favorite child of the family and she had magic; something I wanted badly. When she came home after her finally year I planned to hate her for the rest of her life. But then she came out of the station with your father. She looked so happy I forgot to be angry and remembered that she was my sister. We got back together and it was like we hadn't been fighting the last seven years. She told me so much about the magical world and introduced me to many of her friends. I even met Sirius and Remus although I think I may have traumatized Sirius. Soon after our reconnection out parents decided I would marry Vernon. I hated him but I had no say in the matter. Lily had disobeyed our parents wishes when she married your father so our parents made sure my marriage could not be stopped. In desperation I ran to Lily. She couldn't stop the marriage but she knew a spell that would convince me that I did love Vernon. I finally convinced her to cast the spell under the agreement that she would continue to search for an escape for me and if she found one she would removed the spell.

"And then she died." Petunia's eyes filled with tears. "The spell warped painfully but it held. However, when I saw you on our doorstep something inside me snapped. You look so much like your father but all I cold see was your mother. I missed her so much and felt like you had taken her away. That's why I hated you so much. But when I saw you, laying there, bleeding-" She couldn't' continue and chocked on a sob. Harry held her as she cried, ignoring his own silent tears. After a few moments Petunia pulled back chuckling darkly. "I've never cried so much in one day," she complained. Harry agreed. He hadn't cried since Cedric's death. All this crying was giving him a headache.

A quiet knock roused the two and Harry scrambled to answer. Outside he found an old, friendly looking witch. "Elssa!" Petunia cried, scrambling off the bed and hugging the witch. Harry just watched with a slight smile on his face. Was this the same aunt Petunia who hated magic? He wished the spell had broken long ago. Maybe then he wouldn't have been raped.

"Who's this?" Elssa asked, her black eyes gazing gently at Harry. Her voice sounded much younger then she looked. Which was actually very easy as she looked about two hundred. She was also short. Like, really short. Harry literally towered over and with his stunted growth it was a new feeling for him.

"This is Harry," Petunia introduced, turning serious. "He's the reason I called you." Harry tuned out the explanation of what happened to him. Instead he focused on his body. Something felt off…well, more off then he expected.

"Harry," Elssa called, catching his attention. "Can you lay on the bed please?" Harry hesitated but her gentle understanding soothed enough for him to obey. He lay on the bed, trying not to wiggle as magic washed over him. He could hear Elssa start cursing under her breath and tensed. What could be bad enough to make a Healer cuss?

"Harry?" Elssa said, gently touching his arm. "Can you lower your pants?" Harry scrambled away, terror seizing him. He would have bolted but he saw the tears in her eyes and froze. "Harry," she tried to soothe. "Neither of us are going to hurt you. The spell reported something strange and I need to check on it. It will only be for a moment." Slowly, Harry relaxed and nodded. With shaking hands he started lowering his pants but froze when he felt something spring free…on his back?

Startled, Harry spun around, trying to see his back. He felt something twitch and reached back, trying to grab it. His hand felt fur and he froze. Did he have a tail? No, that was impossible.

"I was afraid of that," Elssa sighed as Petunia stared in horror. "Will you both please sit? This is rather complicated and I don't think I could catch you if one of you fainted." They obeyed. "Well, I've never had a case like this but I've read of them. Harry dear, at midnight you received your magical inheritance. A surge of magic swept through you, making you stronger. However, when the magic felt how damaged you were it healed you. Just…not in the correct way."

Elssa took a deep breath before meeting Harry's eyes. "the magic turned the anal beads that were in you into a womb. That, naturally, meant a vagina was created but, sadly, it took your uncle's sperm and turned them into eggs and ovaries. You are now fully capable of bearing children now. The fox tail attached to the butt plug was real so the magic fused the tail to your body, becoming a true tail. Your large intestine is gone so I don't know how your body will handle the waste your body produces. Perhaps you will just cease to produce any. Finally, the damage to your throat was so great that even magic couldn't heal you vocal cords. You're mute…for life."

Silence fell over the group. Suddenly, Harry smiled and nodded before fainting dead away.

* * *

><p>Harry had spent the rest of the break at the Leaky Cauldron. Petunia had supported him constantly as he went through the stages of shock. It was mostly because of her that he learned to accept the changes to his body. Mostly his tail. She altered his pants to have a tail hole so he wouldn't have to keep tucking the tail away. That, he actually was grateful for. He wasn't so grateful when she tied a ribbon and bell around his tail. He'd had to remove it himself when she laughed herself sick.<p>

Elssa visited often, making sure Harry's bodily changes didn't develop complications. Turns out she had been Pomfrey's teacher so she volunteered to tell the nurse about Harry's changes.

Perhaps the best, and strangest, part of the summer was when Sirius and Remus came to visit. Petunia had contacted them and they rushed over. Harry was happy his aunt cared for him but it wasn't until he was in Sirius' arms that he finally relaxed and felt safe. Both men wanted to rush right back out to kill Vernon once they heard what he did but Petunia reminded them that Harry needed them.

From that moment on every waking moment was spent helping Harry heal. Sirius and Remus moved in, deciding that Petunia would be more at ease in the Leaky Cauldron then at Grimmauld Place. It took a long time but, eventually, Harry healed enough to at least act normal. Inside he was still a wreck but Sirius and Remus promised to accompany him to Hogwarts and keep working with him. Petunia contacted Rosmerta at the Three Broomsticks and, after explaining the situation, received an invitation to stay at the inn for the year. That way she'd be nearby if Harry needed her.

The last day of break Petunia went to Diagon Alley by herself. An hour later she returned with a small box. "Lily had one once," she said with a smile. "She always said he was her best friend." With shaking hands Harry opened the box and gasped silently. A sleepy white kitten blinked up at him and meowed once, irritated at being woken. "It's a sartix," Petunia said quietly, smiling as she watched her nephew quickly become totally enamored. "Lily said that it is sort of like a kneazle, whatever that is, but more of a guardian than a pet. She's supposed to be a friend for you…and a protector." Harry looked up at her and she decided right then that everything she'd had to do and would do to help him was worth it because his eyes were nearly glowing with gratitude. She smiled at him gently before leaving him to get aquainted with his new friend.

Now Harry was on the Hogwarts express, separate from everyone who knew his situation. Hermione's worry was sweet but starting to irritate him. He could feel Snow, his kitten, shifting against his side. She'd refused to be separated from him and had hidden in a bag that was hidden under his robes. So far it was her presence alone that kept Harry from suffering a full blown panic attack.

"Harry?" Hermione said, getting his attention. "We're almost to Hogwarts. You should probably change." He nodded but waited until the other two had left before starting to change. He'd barely managed to get his pants on and his tail hid when the door suddenly slammed open. Startled, Harry looked up and froze. Draco Malfoy stood in the doorway, seemingly just as startled to see the raven. For long moments the two stared at each other before Zabini suddenly nudged Malfoy aside.

"Potter," he said tensely, trying to smile. "Just thought we'd let you know that, in view of the war coming to a head, the leaders of Slytherin have had a meeting and decided to forgo the feud that exists between our houses. We'd like to be you friends." The silence stretched for an uncomfortable time before Harry nodded dumbly. No sooner had he agreed that Zabini took off. Malfoy remained rooted to the spot for a moment longer before the Italian returned and forcefully dragged the blonde away. The shock finally faded and Harry quickly slammed the door shut again, this time locking it. Slowly, he allowed his breathing and heart rate to return to normal. Why had the sight of the blonde Slytherin effected him so much? Had something more happened to him when he'd gone through his inheritance.

Sighing, Harry allowed himself to collapse. This was going to be a _long_ year.

* * *

><p><em>Babble time: Proof that I am not dead! …yet at least. That may change once I finally get around to updating the stories I already have up. (sigh) The life of a student is hard. But I'm sure you don't care. Let's see where this story goes, shall way?<em>

_Thank for reading! TTFN!_


	2. A reluctant mate

A quiet meow dew Harry out of his sleep. He reluctantly opened his eyes and glared at the kitten. Apparently she had a problem with him sleeping in. With a silent growl he nudged her aside before sitting up. It was still insanely early but that was good. It meant no one would see his tail.

So far his final year of school had been busy. His teacher's had been alerted to his condition. As in everything. The rape, the womb, his tail, his muteness, Snow, Petunia, everything. It was all explained to them at various levels of embarrassing details. The only upside to the situation was Snape was no longer allowed to badger him. Actually, none of his teachers would bother him. Since he couldn't talk he couldn't use spells. Sirius and Remus had volunteered to teach him non-verbal magic but it would take time. Until then he was assigned to bookwork.

Snow meowed again, batting at his covered legs. Her bright blue eyes met his and she glared. 'Well, get up,' she seemed to say. With a smirk Harry saluted and obeyed. He ignored her quiet grumblings, ducking into the bathroom. His shower was quick as he still wasn't used to his new body. The tail was awesome so long as he wasn't sitting on it. True, washing it had been a learning experience but he had it down to a science now. The vagina was different. Out of curiosity he had fingered the new orifice and it had been rather painful and tender. He was never going to understand the appeal of sex for women. Combine that with periods, of which he'd already had one (and nearly scared Sirius to death when he'd screamed because of the blood the first morning) and it was safe to say that he hated his new organ and all that came with it.

Shower over, Harry quickly dried himself and dashed to his bed. The curtains were barely closed around him when Ron snorted into wakefulness as he did every morning. Harry shared a smirk with Snow before dressing quietly. He waited till Ron was in the bathroom before racing out of the room and down the stairs. The common room was empty when he walked in but that wasn't surprising. It was four in the morning after all. A bit late for Harry and his new schedule but insanely early for any other living thing in the castle, even the house elves. For a moment the raven considered staring a fire in the fire place and relaxing by it but he quickly decided he was to restless. Instead he snuck out the entrance. Snow gave him an irritated look before deliberately snubbing him and curling up beside the still warm embers in the fireplace. She wasn't about to go wandering around a freezing cold castle in the middle of the night. Harry let the portrait close with a shrug and went on his way. Her loss.

Hogwarts was a magic school; Harry knew that. But night was a magical time anywhere and it was even more magical inside the school. It was a time of silence and stillness when even your most amazing fantasies feel like they actually _could_ be real. Walking the halls at night never failed to calm Harry's mind and it was because of that that Dumbledore had given him permission to be in the halls whenever he wanted. Filch was less then happy about the exception of course. So was Malfoy.

Malfoy. He'd been acting weird ever since the meeting on the train. After Zabini had asked for the cease in the feud Malfoy had avoided Harry like he had the plague. However, he also seemed to be watching the raven closer then ever. More than once Harry had caught the blonde staring at him from across a room or in the halls. They'd bumped into each other in places that Harry could have sworn Malfoy never visited. Malfoy had even defended Harry against students that had begun to mock him for his silence. He'd never admit it but there were times when Harry would realize that Malfoy had taken revenge on someone on his behalf and he'd be filled with a warmth and gratitude he could explain and it bothered him.

The only hint for the behavior Harry had came from Snape, oddly enough. After silently fuming about Malfoy's actions Harry had inadvertently turned to the Potion Master. Strangely enough, Snape was ready for him. "Mr. Malfoy is not human," he'd said, completely serious. "I'm not sure why he's so interested in you but take my advise. Avoid him at all costs." And he'd refused to say more.

Heaving a silent sigh, Harry finally stopped walking and looked at his surroundings for the first time. He was in a part of the castle he'd never been to before which was rare enough to frighten him. Before he could fully panic he was pulled back against a hard chest. "Potter," a voice purred, making Harry stiffen. Malfoy. "Thank you for answering the Call so quickly."

Harry started struggling, mostly on principle. He may have entered a truce with all Slytherins, the blonde included, but he did trust them as far as he could throw them. However, a quiet warning growl made him go still. Snape had said that Malfoy wasn't human after all. Harry had no idea what he was fighting against and that put him at a major disadvantage.

"Relax Potter," Malfoy murmured, nuzzling his neck. "I'm not going to hurt you." Harry shook his head, shaking slightly. He felt Malfoy stiffen and suddenly worried that he'd angered the blonde. But then deceptively gentle fingers traced the scar on his neck where his uncle had slit his throat. "You've been hurt," Malfoy growled, sounding truly angry. Harry nodded, even knowing that the words had not been meant as a question. "Can you talk at all?" A shake of his head. With gentle hands Malfoy turned Harry to face him, anger and pain clear in his silver eyes but he still attempted to smile. "So all that crap about you taking a religious vow of silence really is crap?" Despite the fear clawing at his chest, or maybe because of it, Harry let loose a quiet huff of laughter. Dumbledore had been convinced that since Catholic monks sometimes took vows of silence the excuse would be accepted by the student body. Not bloody likely. But then Malfoy turned serious again, making Harry tense. "Can I see your memories?"

Harry wrenched away, frantically shaking his head. There was no way in hell anyone was going to see those memories. He would master occlumency in hours if it meant not sharing those memories. But then Malfoy was holding him again, holding him flush against his chest even as he fought. Silent tears traced down his cheeks as his struggles got weaker and weaker until he was just standing in the blonde's embrace. After a few deep breaths Harry shook his head again but knew it was a pointless battle. Malfoy hadn't moved, silently stating that he wasn't going to back down and he was just stubborn enough to hold them both there until they died of starvation. So, very reluctantly, Harry pulled back and met Malfoy's gaze, letting him see the memories of the rape and the changes to his body. Malfoy's eyes started glowing, becoming red rimmed, but dimmed as he consciously reigned in his anger. When the memories ended he again pulled Harry flush against him but this time it was to comfort.

"Harry," he said quietly, gently rubbing circles on Harry's lower back. "I swear, I'm not going to hurt you. You're my mate; I could never hurt you." That made Harry snort quietly. Since when had Malfoy done anything _but_ hurt him? Besides, as nice as it felt to be in the older teens arms he couldn't forget the feel of his uncle. Even as Malfoy started nuzzling and licking his neck, all Harry could think about was the rape. Although his pulse did jump when he felt fangs brush against his neck. That was new and the shock was just what he needed to remember that Malfoy wasn't Vernon and maybe, just maybe, he would be different.

Malfoy paused, feeling Harry begin to trace something on his back. The trembling made interpretation difficult but eventually he picked out individual letters which slowly formed words. Once he was sure he understood the question he chuckled softly. "What am I?" he asked, wanting to clarify first. Harry nodded. "I'm an Incubus." He felt Harry stiffen and laughed softly, hoping to calm the boy. "Relax Harry. Having sex with an Incubus or Succubus is only deadly if you aren't their mate. I told you, I won't hurt you."

Actually, that wasn't very reassuring. Harry wasn't concerned about the fact that any mortal who had sex with a sex demon eventually died because of it. He was more concerned about being mates with a literal demon. The public was going to have a field day with this headline. But, strangely enough, the longer Malfoy held him the less he cared. A moment more and he slowly started tracing more letters on the blonde's back.

B-E G-E-N-T-L-E

Draco pulled back slightly and gently covered Harry's mouth with his own. He coaxed the raven slowly until Harry finally allowed the tongue entrance. For many minutes they stood together, breathing each other's air as their tongues rubbed lazily. By the time the blonde pulled back Harry couldn't remember he even _had_ an uncle. "I will be," Draco promised before teleporting them both to his room. Harry was so caught up in the sensation of having Draco moving against him that he didn't notice they were both naked, their clothing having been left behind. He simply allowed Draco to guide him backwards until he fell onto the bed, tail twitching aside at the last moment. The blonde instantly covered him, keeping most of his weight supported on his arms but still covering the smaller boy with a warm shield. He casually leaned down and started kissing the raven again, distracting Harry from the spell that gently stretched and lubricated his vagina. However, nothing could distract Harry when Draco suddenly thrust forward, filling him to the hilt instantly. The raven wrenched his head away with a silent cry, tears in his eyes, but Draco was instantly holding him and caressing him.

"I'm sorry," the blonde whispered, stroking the tears away. "I'm so sorry Harry. This pain couldn't be avoided." For a moment Harry wanted to scream at him but then he remembered the sex conversation he'd had with his aunt. Most was still blocked from his mind because of the amazing levels of embarrassment he'd gone through but certain parts were coming back. The part about the hymen was one of them. That stupid piece of skin…muscle…whatever, that was in his vagina. She'd told him that if he ever lost his virginity that the hymen would tear and that it was rather painful. So Draco was right; the pain couldn't have been avoided.

Slowly, Harry nodded, trying to say with his eyes that he understood. Draco must have gotten the message because he leaned down to cover Harry's mouth again. They kissed languidly until Harry relaxed enough for Draco to start thrusting in and out. It only took a couple thrusts for Harry to realize that Draco was nothing like Vernon. Vernon was interested in his own pleasure first and Harry's pain second. Nothing else mattered to the whale of a man. Draco made it clear that he cared more for Harry than himself. He kept his thrusts small and gentle until he found Harry's pleasure spot though he obviously wanted to go much harder and faster. Once he found that spot he focused solely on stimulating it until Harry was a bundle of nerves and goo. Even though his vocal cords were shot he could still gasp and moan, letting Draco know how good he felt. If the blonde's smile was anything to go by, he was enjoying them.

"Harry," Draco moaned, shaking from the need to take his mate hard and fast. "Please. Can I take my true form?" It took a moment before Harry could gather enough energy and control but he eventually nodded. With a groan of relief Draco dropped his glamours. He stopped his thrusting, suddenly terrified that Harry would reject him. Time stood still as Harry slowly took in the red eyes, the long fangs, the swirling tattoos covering Draco's chest and arms, and most of all he took in Draco's wings. They were large and leathery, reminded Harry of vampire wings but for some reason he felt no fear. He slowly smiled and reached up to caress one of the wings, smirking when Draco twitched and moaned in pleasure. Seemed the wings were sensitive. With deliberate slowness the raven pulled Draco down until he could lean up and gently kiss the wing.

With that kiss Draco's control snapped. He roared, slamming back into Harry's body. Despite his best intentions he couldn't go slow or gentle but Harry didn't seem to mind. In truth the raven had latched his legs around Draco's waste and was trying to tug him closer still, meeting him thrust for thrust. "Harry!" Draco screamed as his orgasm shot through him. He came with such power that the sensation tore Harry's orgasm out of him. For long moments they were both stiff with pleasure before they collapsed in a boneless pile. Even as he struggled to slow his breathing Harry realized that he liked having Draco laying over him. He felt the blonde bite his neck hard enough to break skin but when the tongue came out to soothe the pain he couldn't complain. Instead he sighed in contentment as Draco wrapped his arms around him and cuddled in closer.

"You're mine," Draco said possessively. "No one else can have you. No one else can touch you. No one else can take you. I'll kill anyone who tries. Do you understand? Harry nodded his head tiredly before fading into sleep.

It was hours later that Harry woke with a silent scream. His wide eyes instantly swept the room, not seeing Malfoy but that didn't calm him at all. He didn't know where the panic was coming from but it was all consuming. In a desperate haze he lurched out of the bed, accidentally knocking a book off the desk. For a moment he was going to ignore it but when he noticed the words 'an Incubus can influence his mate' on the open page he quickly grabbed it and started to read. His face grew steadily paler as he realized what had happened.

'When an Incubus wishes to have sex with his mate he will use the Call to summon his mate wherever he is. There he will offer his mate sex but if the mate refuses an Incubus can influence his mate by releasing certain pheromones. These pheromones are specifically designed to convince the mate to have sex. The longer the mate is in the presence of the pheromones the more they will fall under the Incubus's control. Eventually they will agree to sex on their own accord so that the Incubus can rightly claim that they never rape their mate.'

The book fell from Harry's numb hands with a clatter. His whole body was shaking as he realized what had happened to him. Malfoy had used those pheromones to convince him to have sex even though Harry had in fact been screaming against it the entire time. He may have not physically been fighting this time but it was just as much rape as what his uncle had done. Twice. He'd been raped twice.

Sobbing, Harry bolted out of the room. He vaguely noticed he was wearing pajama bottoms and hoped his tail was tucked away as he shoved past startled students but then his brain shut down. All that existed was the pounding of his feet as he ran to his own mantra. 'I must get to Aunt Petunia. I must get to Aunt Petunia. I must get to Aunt Petunia. I must get to Aunt Petunia.' He did not resume awareness of his surroundings until he was pounding on Petunia's door at the inn, nearly collapsing in exhaustion.

"Harry?" Petunia called, opening the door and barely catching the raven as he collapsed. Instantly Harry started sobbing, leaving Petunia to panic as she slowly guided him into her room and on the bed. After a few minutes Harry was calm enough to explain what happened with the sign language he and his aunt had developed over the summer. By the time he'd finished Petunia was also shaking but in anger. Harry knew she wanted to kill Malfoy but first she would make sure Harry was safe.

"Do you want me to summon Sirius and Remus?" she asked. Harry was still for a moment before nodding. He curled up on the couch, tears silently tracking down his cheeks. Memories of his night with Malfoy clouded his mind, rendering him unaware of his surroundings until a hand rested gently on his shoulder. Startled, he looked up into Hermione's tear filled eyes.

"I was with Professor Lupin when Petunia called," she explained, trying to smile but only succeeding in letting a couple tears free. "They explained to me what happened this summer…and last night." Harry buried his face in her stomach before she could continue. He'd wanted her to know so she could help but he never realized how terrified he was that she would think he was weak and worthless. However, those fears vanished when she held him close and started whispering words of comfort. He could hear the adults talking nearby and even felt a few medical diagnosis spells cast on him but ignored them in favor of listening to his friend. He even found himself chuckling when she described, in great detail, how she was going to castrate Malfoy with a dull spoon and musing how much fish oil she'd have to cover Vernon in before she could feed him to an orca. "After all," she said with a sarcastic edge, "it's only fair that a while eat a whale. Never mind that orca's aren't actually whales, I just like the name Killer Whale. What do you think Harry?"

"Harry?" The raven glanced over to see Elssa nearby. He managed a tiny smile for her but it died a quick death when he saw how serious the tiny healer was. "I'm so sorry Harry," she said, tears welling in her eyes. When her eyes flicked to his stomach the hard truth finally hit Harry's mind.

**I'm pregnant, **he said, knowing the people around him would read his lips. It wasn't a question but Elssa nodded regardless. Harry sighed, to numb and in shock to really feel anything over the news. **The bite? **he asked, reaching up to finger the mark.

"It's a mating mark," Hermione answered, guessing at the question. "It's to tell any other magical creature that you have been claimed by your mate and are off limits. It is also the catalyst that triggers your change." Harry gaze snapped to her in horror as tears traced down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry Harry but whatever Malfoy is…you'll become one too." Silent tears fell down Harry cheeks before he suddenly wrenched away from his friend. Everyone jumped when he suddenly punched the wall, silently screaming all his pain and anger. Even though they didn't see his mouth move everyone knew what he was screaming.

Why me?

In a shadow near the door, Nagini slowly raised her head. Her master had sent her to kill Harry's aunt, hoping it would drive Potter to confront him, but now things were different. The knowledge of Potter's imminent change from human and the child he was now carrying could change the entire war. So with a quiet hiss she slithered off, determined to report this change of events. And maybe afterwards she could ask her master if she could kill the muggle that had hurt the little hatchling.

* * *

><p><em>Babble time: (sees the number of people to favorite and alert story) OMG! THIS IS AWESOME! (sees the number of reviews) …crickets chirping…this is not so awesome. I'm a little depressed now. (takes deep breath) Okay, think positive. People are clearly interested in the story. Maybe more people will review if you update a little more. Yeah…maybe…anyway, like normal I will now respond to the reviews I have.<em>

_Anon: Yes, Vernon is a dick and a million other nasty words besides. But don't worry, Harry will get his revenge and it will be oh so sweet._

_Paynomindwastenotime: I'm glad you like it and I'm glad you like that plot. I'm toying with the idea of Harry getting his voice back after the last battle but I'm not sure. Still, at least for the majority of the fic he will be mute although he does develop other ways of communicating. Some more effective than others._

_And on the off chance that any of you are wondering, that last part with Nagini is important, especially the part where she refers to him as a hatchling. So keep an eye out for that. Well, that's all I have to say except for…can just a couple more of you review? Please?_

_Thanks for reading! TTFN!_


	3. Predetor and Prey

'Harry talking mental'

'_Snow talking mental'_

**Harry talking while others read his lips**

* * *

><p>"Harry? Harry, won't you come out?" Harry silently shook his head and burrowed deeper under the covers. He could feel Snow padding around above the covers but she made no move to rouse him. She'd actually left him alone since Malfoy had raped him. Oh, she'd been with him constantly but she knew he didn't want company most times so she would just wait nearby. It was only when he was sobbing at night that she would crawl under the mountain of blankets he had over him and cuddle with him. Then she would leave the next morning as soon as he started to nudge her out. "Harry, please open up."<p>

Malfoy had been quiet the last month. At first he'd tried to approach Harry but the raven had thus far managed to avoid him each time. Hermione had hexed the blonde several times, driving him away. Even the teachers were siding with Harry after hearing about the second rape. Snape, oddly enough, was protecting the raven the most. He'd actually given Malfoy detention for the express purpose of keeping him away from Harry on certain days.

"Harry, you have to come out eventually." Wanna bet, he wanted to ask. He hadn't left his bed for a couple days. Not since Malfoy had cornered him and stolen a kiss before Hagrid could chase him away. Dobby had been nice (obsessed) enough to bring him food whenever he was hungry and Snow, for some reason, would gather his school work from his teachers each day and then return it when he was done. There was no reason for Harry to leave his bed any time soon.

"Leave him alone Hermione," Ron said from across the room. "If he wants to be an angst wanker then let him." That made Harry snort. Ron had certain showed his true colors this last month. He'd made his dislike for Harry and his "attention seeking ploys" clear and, oddly enough, Harry didn't mind. After so many years of Ron abandoning him whenever they had a major fight it was a relief to know his true feelings. It was easy to ignore the bickering that sprang up between the other two people in the room. Instead he lifted the covers to allow Snow to join him.

'What am I going to do?' he asked her silently. 'I know I can't actually stay here forever, no matter how much I want to.'

'_You fear Malfoy,'_ she seemed to answer, her blue eyes glinting. _'Turn the table on him. Make him fear you.'_

'How?' He shook his head. 'I can't make him fear me.'

'_Then don't let him know you fear him,'_ she scowled. _'Don't show him how much power he has over you or he will continue to abuse it.'_ With a quiet meow she licked the tip of his nose. _'Stand up for yourself.'_ Then she nudged his stomach. _'And your child.'_

'I hate it when you're right,'he sighed. He'd never know how he'd developed such a close connection with the kitten. Hermione had told him about familiars before but he hadn't felt that sort of bond form. Wasn't Hedwig his familiar anyway? Could he have two familiars?

With a quiet groan, Harry sat up and stretched. For a moment he rubbed his already swollen stomach. Incubi babies were weird little creatures. They grew very quickly and the baby would be fully formed within three months of the conception. But then the baby could stay in the womb for as long as they wanted! The raven had read the books on Incubus pregnancy that Snape had given him and the news was not encouraging. Some Incubi were pregnant for years! Admittedly, considering Incubi were immortal it didn't matter much to them but it still made Harry nervous.

'You won't put me through that, right baby?' he asked silently, still rubbing the bulge. No matter how much he hated Malfoy the baby he carried was innocent. There was no reason for him to punish the life growing inside him. The father was a different matter altogether but Harry really was starting to love the baby. 'You won't make me wait to long to meet you, right?'

"Harry?" Hermione called again. With a silent sigh Harry finally opened the curtains. He was greeted by Hermione's worried face but it quickly melted into a smile. "There you are. How do you feel?"

"**A little sore,"** he mouthed slowly. Hermione had been adamant about learning to read lips so that they could converse. She'd even asked Professor Snape to help teach her, working under the assumption that as a spy he had to know how to read lips. He did and he agreed to teach her but only after taking twenty-five points from Gryphindor for her presumptions. Now, even though he still had to 'talk' slow, she could understand him well enough for them to chat rather easily.

"Of course you're sore," she scolded gently, hands on her hips. "You've been in bed for three days. Have you even eaten in that time?"

"**Yes Mother,"** he chided, finally getting out of bed and standing. Snow leapt on to his shoulder which was her perch of choice when he left the room. **"Dobby brought me food whenever I was hungry."**

"You sure? You look a little thin," Hermione pressed, turning away so that Harry could get dressed. She'd gotten used to seeing him in various states of nakedness after all of the checkups she attended with him but knew it still caused him discomfort to let others see him without clothes. A tap on the shoulder a couple minutes later made her turn back around.

"**The baby is demanding,"** Harry said with a slight smile as he gently rubbed his stomach again. **"They need a lot of nutrition to grow so fast. Don't worry; it will slow down soon."** The answer seemed to appease Hermione because she relaxed and nodded. Together they went down to and through the common room and started wandering through the castle. A couple students called out greetings as they passed but Harry ignored them. All of his senses were on alert for Malfoy. He could feel Snow and Hermione were doing the same and smiled bitterly. They'd all been caught off guard by the blonde enough times to be hyper aware of their surroundings.

"Potter!" Speak of the devil…literally.

"Leave him alone Malfoy," Hermione growled, instantly placing herself between the blonde and her friend. Harry chanced a glance at his mate before quickly looking away. The blonde's control was slipping fast. His eyes were red-ringed and his fangs were fully elongated. There was a slight hum in the air that only Harry could feel and he knew Malfoy was growling.

"Step aside Granger," the blonde snarled. Harry whimpered silently, simultaneously wanting to reach his mate and run far away from him. Merlin, this sucked. "Harry?" Correction, _this_ sucked. Malfoy's voice was so full of pain and need that Harry's knees were about to collapse. He knew the blonde was suffering from the separation from his mate much more than the raven because he was fully Incubus while Harry was just starting to show physical changes. Surely it wouldn't hurt anyone if Harry let Draco just a little bit more-

A growl beside his ear snapped Harry out of that thinking and he turned. Snow was growling at Malfoy, her blue eyes glowing with energy. For a second the raven jumped but then remembered what Petunia had said. Snow was a friend _and_ a guardian. So far she hadn't had the need or chance to protect Harry in a physical way but now Malfoy was an immediate threat. If Harry didn't do something quick this whole confrontation was going to get bloody.

Wanting to avoid that, Harry took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. He met Malfoy's gaze, hoping that the longing to touch his mate wasn't clearly visible. **"Fuck. Off,"** he said before turning on his heel and briskly walking away. He'd barely made it to the stairs when Malfoy roared. Instantly he jumped over the rail, not caring that he was now facing a very long drop, barely dodging the bolt of magic that hit where he had been standing. Hmm…seems pissing off the dominant mate was not something he should have done.

As he fell Harry was filled with euphoria. The sensation of free falling was different from before. In the past free falling always scared Harry. The feeling of helplessness was not one he enjoyed. But now…now that helpless feeling was overshadowed by an immense feeling of freedom. Alright, being a sex demon sucked but he couldn't wait to get his wings if it meant feeling like this more often.

Without thinking, Harry rolled when he hit the ground, not caring he'd just fallen several stories. He could _feel_ Malfoy chasing him and could think of only one safe place. So with that thought he took off like a bat shot out of Hell. He dodged the students he could and ran over the ones he couldn't. Behind him he could hear people screaming as Malfoy chased him but his mind was fully focused on his destination. He went deeper into the castle, praying that he stayed ahead of his mate. At one point he lost Snow and heard a new roar behind him. He chanced a glance back and noticed a giant white tiger covering his retreat. If that was Snow she was an awesome guardian and he was going to make sure he never pissed her off.

When the door to his salvation finally appeared Harry nearly sobbed in relief. He collapsed against the door and started pounding on it. Now that he wasn't moving Malfoy was quickly closing the gap between them. In fact, the blonde was just turning the final corner when the door was finally wrenched open. Harry instantly fell through and slammed the door shut just in time. Malfoy slammed against the closed door and howled in rage, pounding on the door but not trying to enter. For a few second everything inside the room was still until Harry collapsed in exhaustion. He lay on the floor, panting, until someone cleared their throat. Smiling, he glanced up at Snape's frown, ignoring the students around them. **"Hi Snape."**

"Mr. Potter," Snape said dryly. "I assume you have a reason for barging in here and disturbing my class." Malfoy chose that moment to screech in rage as other teachers appeared in the hall and began dragging him away.

"**Sort of,"** Harry said with a shrug. Heaving a sigh, Snape hauled the raven to his feet and gestured towards an empty desk. Harry sat there willingly, still trying to recover from his mad dash to the potions lab. He glanced around and noticed the class was for third year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. They slowly refocused on their potions and some cried out, realizing that they'd been distracted long enough that their potion was ruined. The class dragged on until, eventually, Harry was forgotten. Snow reappeared at some point, grinning smugly to herself. She seemed uninjured from her fight with Malfoy so Harry chose not to berate her. If he was honest to himself he knew that if she had not stayed behind Malfoy would have caught him easily. So with one hand he stroked her while with the other he absently scratched a letter on a spare piece of parchment.

Hell is not enough for

even the pain I feel there makes me

laugh in disbelief. Does my

pain please you, oh Demon of

my soul? Do you

ever hear my cries, both to escape you and to be

found by you? Do my eyes give you

insight to the torment of my soul?

Night give me no rest.

Day brings me no relief.

May my cries haunt

you as I face my

slavery alone. For an

eternity I am bound to live and

love while knowing you shall not see me

forever and for always.

"Mr. Potter?" Startled, Harry looked up and realized that the class was over and Snape was standing over him. He smiled sheepishly as the Potion Master looked down at him and nodded. "Headmaster Dumbledore has informed me that Mr. Malfoy is currently confined to the Slytherin dorms. You are free to go if you wish." Harry smiled widely at that and grabbed the professor in a hug before bolting out of the class, laughing silently at Snape's outraged yells. Seemed the man didn't like being hugged.

Finally out of the dungeons, Harry slowed down to a walk. For a second he thought he felt the baby move but quickly decided that he was delusional. Even if the baby was growing quickly it was still to early to feel movement. He was probably just feeling that ever present ache between his legs, may Malfoy be cursed for all eternity. Elssa had warned him that pregnant females often got horny but he hadn't even thought that he would suffer the same fate. Yet here he was with a constant ache to have sex but he'd rather die then let Malfoy have sex with him again. Of course, he still had his own cock and balls so he could have sex with a girl but the only girl that he would even consider having sex with was Hermione and that was way to awkward. Therefore he was pretty much resigned to being a very horny but celibate teenager for quite some time.

"Harry!" Smiling, Harry turned just in time to catch Hermione as she tackled him. She held him tight for a few seconds, expressing her joy at him being alright, before letting go with a smile. However, the raven started getting a bit nervous when he noted the small glimmer in her eyes. "I'm so glad I found you," she said. "There's a couple people here to see you!"

"Hiya Harry! What you-"

"-been up to little mate?"

Groaning, Harry turned to smile at the Weasley twins. They instantly pulled him in for a hug but he noticed that they kept their hands above his waste and frowned. One of the twins' running jokes was to grab his ass every time they hugged him. Had something changed?

"Sirius told us about Dursely and Malfoy," Fred suddenly whispered in his ear, making Harry stiffen. Before he could get mad at his godfather Fred pulled back and smiled. "Seemed the old dog noticed us grabbing your ass a few times and didn't want us to freak you out." The anger vanished as quickly as it came, making Harry smile. He should have known Sirius was just trying to protect him.

"As soon as we heard Gred and I came running over," George said, also releasing Harry from the hug. "We wanted to know if there was anything we could do to help our very favorite silent partner." Harry shook his head fondly, wondering just how long they were going to insist on call him that. Just because he'd given them the money to start their shop. He was still fighting them on their insistence on paying him back. As it was, every time he managed to convince them to not pay him back for a certain amount of time he instead got a shit load of free products they thought he'd like. "So come on Harry. Is there anything we can do to help you?"

Harry thought for a moment, knowing they weren't going to let him walk away with nothing. However, only one thing came to mind and it wasn't something he wanted Hermione to know about. So with a pleading look and a blush he couldn't get rid of he finally convinced Hermione to turn around so she wouldn't understand as he slowly 'told' the twins what he wanted. It took a while as neither twin was used to reading lips but eventually they understood and, surprisingly enough, were smiling in understanding instead of mischief.

"I got just the thing for you Harry," Fred said, waving his wand in a complicated pattern and conjuring a plain brown box. "These aren't even for sale yet but it should be just what you're looking for. And don't worry about your muteness. It has a special spell that responds to what you want so you don't have to say anything." Harry carefully took the box and smiled in thanks. He was just about to die from embarrassment for even asking but if he did manage to survive he knew that the product would help him keep his sanity.

"Harry?" Hermione called, getting their attention. "It's almost dinner time and Professor Dumbledore said they wouldn't be able to keep Malfoy confined after dinner." Harry stiffened instantly, wondering if the blonde had been released yet. He quickly waved goodbye to the twins before sprinting towards the stairs. No sooner did he reach the Fat Lady then he heard Malfoy roar for him. Luckily the Fat Lady had also been told of his problem and quickly let Harry in even though he couldn't say the password.

Even knowing that Malfoy couldn't get in the Gryphindor dorms Harry hurried up his room, holding the package close to his chest. If it was what he thought it was he was going to murder Fred and then buy him whatever his heart desired.

In his room, Harry quickly climbed into his bed and snapped the curtains shut. Sirius had spelled the curtains back on the first day of school so that when Harry pulled a cord near the head of his bed the curtains would lock and silencing spells would be put up. Only once he was secure did Harry open the package and pull out the object. For the longest time he stared at the gift, wondering just how he was going to kill Fred.

It was a dildo. It wasn't very long or thick but if the instruction manual that came with it was correct it would magically change to become whatever he wanted. For a moment he considered not using the thing but then he glanced at the baby bulge. He was so freaking horny! Surely the baby wouldn't mind…right?

'I hope you don't mind love,' he sighed mentally before undressing. He consulted the instruction sheet quickly before quirking an eyebrow. Apparently all he had to do was insert the dildo. He could then do anything he wanted because it wouldn't move until he wanted it to. So, taking a deep breath, he slowly inserted the dildo into his already wet vagina. It felt strange, having something inside him that wasn't moving. Slightly skeptical, he rolled over and got on his knees.

Instantly he gasped as the dildo bucked inside him. He could feel it grow until it was wedged tightly inside him and long enough that he felt it deep inside. It also started moving, taking him with hard and deep strokes. The feeling made Harry moan as his arms nearly gave out. Merlin, yes, this was what he wanted. If he closed his eyes he could almost imagine Draco kneeling behind him, filling him with every stroke. The magic was so complete that he could have sworn that he could feel the balls slapping against him and he could hear his mate pant and groan. Harry arched suddenly when the dildo changed actions and started taking him hard and fast. For just a moment the raven thought he could feel Draco fist his hair and his head fell back, exposing his throat. A silent whimper escaped his throat as he realized how much he wanted his real mate even when he knew it couldn't happen. Maybe if Draco hadn't used those damn pheromones to influence his will Harry wouldn't have had a problem going to the blonde. Maybe they would be together and Harry wouldn't be facing this pregnancy alone.

But maybes were pointless. Malfoy had raped him and the result was that Harry was alone with no one to go to and reduced to getting pounded by a magical dildo. Harry sobbed quietly as his orgasm came and he felt the dildo inside him stiffen, mimicking an orgasm. His arms finally collapsed, leaving the raven sprawled across the bed, silent tears falling down his cheeks. With a weary sigh he curled up, not bothering to remove the dildo when he knew that he'd just wake up horny again. Even as he faded into sleep the tears did not stop falling as both Incubi silently cried for the mate they couldn't reach.

* * *

><p><em>Babble time: Ta-da! I present to all my wonderful readers…THIS! What? I think it's pretty good. Although I did have a question. I'm afraid that I'm making Harry out to much as a weakling. I know he's been victimized in the story (my fault for that really) but I didn't want to portray him as a weakling. He just needs to learn to get himself back up which takes time. So what do all of you think? While you muse that I will answer the reviews which there are more of! Thank you so much!<em>

_D: The tail (strangely enough) does have a purpose. I just haven't gotten there yet. And yes. We will learn more about Harry and his future goals and dreams as the story goes on. As for why he was chosen by Draco…because I felt like it? Lol, no really, I haven't thought much about it but it's a valid question. I'll have to come up with something. Thanks for asking!_

_LIGHTNSHADOWS: Nope, Harry can never catch a break. The world would end if he does. (oh! Then he'll get one Dec 21!) Draco doesn't really know Harry well enough to care for him but after the memories he saw it's more then just mating instinct. He has an amazing need to protect his mate from getting hurt again and honestly didn't think that he would hurt him._

_Siarafaerie-101-miss: Welcome back! My fic is unique? Yes! I have no idea where the plot came from but I'm running with it. Hope you continue to enjoy._

_GeargieGirl999: I'm glad you like it._

_A Being Of Violet Fire: First off, love the name. Secondly, I'm glad you like it. Yes, Vernon and Draco are arses. Vernon's punishment will come in time and next chap will have Snape punishing Draco. Draco's punishment won't be as bad since he honestly couldn't help but use his Incubus powers but Vernon will get everything he deserves. Mute people can still make some noises (just not many) so I'm working under the assumption that a scream is one of them. And I think I answered your other question in the story so…yeah!_

_Elektra107: I'm so glad you like it!_

_Hp-slash-crazy: Can I borrow your name? Because it describes me perfectly. Lol. You're the only person to ask about Nagini. Part of it was Voldemort's soul, yes, but there is a bigger part that will be revealed later._

_Thanks for reading! TTFN!_


	4. A part I don't want to play

Harry could almost hear the 'Mission Impossible' music play as he dashed down the hall. It had been about a week since his mad dash through the school to avoid Malfoy and he'd decided that he'd had enough of hiding in his dorm room. So here he was, running down hallways and peeking around corners, trying to get to class. Not exactly how he'd planned to spend his last year of school. Worse, his first class was potions so he was currently traversing the dungeons. Malfoy could pop up from anywhere and even if Harry ran the blonde git would know how to trap him. Thus the Mission Impossible music.

Finally spotting the class Harry raced in seconds before the bell rang and the door slammed shut. Everyone turned to stare at him but Snape just gave him a glance. "How nice of you to join us Mr. Potter. Perhaps you'd also be nice enough to take your seat?" Harry smiled sheepishly and nodded, quickly taking a desk near the front. He saw Hermione and Neville nearby and waved to them slightly. They both waved back with smiles. Hermione was nearly beaming to finally see him in classes again and no doubt would have hugged him if Snape hadn't started class just then. Luckily he did and Harry could turn back to the front and pay attention.

Harry was actually doing very well in Potions that year for one very simple reason. He still had the Prince's potion book. Of course, he knew that Professor Snape was the Half-Blood Prince and Snape knew that he had the book. When Snape first found out Harry was afraid he'd confiscate the book but instead the Potion Master had just glared at him. "If you have this book I'll expect even more from you," he'd warned but left it at that. So far, Harry hadn't managed to disappoint him.

The class was going smoothly with only one botched up potion so far (and by some miracle it wasn't Neville's) when suddenly everything went to shit. The door to the classroom slammed open, causing many people to jump away and scream which startled Harry, who was just laddling out some of his potion, and resulted in him spilling the stuff all over himself. Normally he wouldn't mind, it was just a calming draught after all, but then the baby gave a painful lurch that sent him to his knees. He heard Hermione scream for him and come running while Snape started yelling at whoever had interrupted the class. Just when Harry was about to panic a gentle hand touched his shoulder and the pain faded. He could almost feel the baby resettle within the womb and he sighed in relief. Thinking it was Hermione or Snape that had helped him he looked up with a smile but froze when he saw his rescuer.

Narcissa Malfoy…oh shit.

"Are you alright Mr. Potter?" she asked, her blue eyes slightly concerned. Somewhere in the room Harry could hear Snape and Lucius Malfoy talking harshly to each other and he gulped quietly. A very large part of him wanted to run far away but another smaller part felt safe in Narcissa's presence. So, against his better judgment, he nodded slowly. To his surprise, Narcissa smiled at that. "Good. I'm sorry my husband startled you. He just has different priorities then we do."

"**We?"** Harry asked, confusion very evident.

"Yes, we. You and I are not that different Mr. Potter. We were both humans before Incubi chose us to be their mates." Harry's eyes went wide as he realized what she was saying and she nodded to him, seeing he finally understood. "Again, I apologize for my husband. He was less than happy when he heard that you've been avoiding Draco and decided to do something about it." She smiled gently when the raven stiffened. "Don't be afraid. Lucius is all bark and growl about the subject. He knows if he hurts you Draco will murder him." Harry wasn't so sure about that just then but he nodded regardless.

"Mrs. Malfoy," Snape said coldly, drawing their attention. Lucius stood behind the professor, scowling darkly and glaring at Potter. "Would you please remove your husband from my classroom and either escort him out of the castle or go pester somebody else?"

"Of course Professor Snape," Narcissa answered, standing regally and leveling a mild glare at her husband. "My apologies for his inability to control himself as a grown adult." Lucius winced slightly at the rebuke but remained silently. With one last look at Harry Narcissa swept out of the room, subtly dragging Lucius with her. As soon as they were gone Snape began to try and sort out the class.

"Are you alright?" Hermione quietly hissed as Harry resumed his position before his cauldron. He nodded slightly to her, still in a bit of shock, before examining what remained of his potion. Luckily he'd turned the fire off before the interruption so what remained in his cauldron was still perfect. It wasn't as much as he normally turned in but surely Snape would cut him some slack on this one. With that thought he carefully poured what was left into a vial and, after corking the vial, turned his potion in before beginning to clean his work area. He kept his head down as he worked, knowing that people were staring at him. A couple of the looks were sympathetic but most were suspicious and angry. No doubt many were wondering just why the wife of a known Death Eater was so kind to him.

The bell rang, signaling the end of class, but before Harry could leave a hand grabbed his shoulder. "Mr. Potter, please remain behind," Snape said firmly. With a sigh Harry nodded and waved Hermione and Neville on. Soon they were alone and Snape finally released the boy. The professor observed Harry for a second before offering a small smile. "I hope Narcissa didn't startle you to much."

"**She didn't startle me,"** Harry said sarcastically, flopping into a nearby seat. **"She just about scared me to death! What was that all about?"** Snape watched him for a moment longer before apparently making a decision.

"Potter, how would you feel if I told you that the Dark Lord is aware of your condition?" Harry stiffened but after a few seconds he slumped in defeat.

"**Of course he freaking knows,"** he muttered despondently. **"If he didn't know I may be fooled into thinking I was actually having good luck."** For a moment he stared at nothing before suddenly looking confused. **"Professor? I'm having the strangest thoughts. A part of me is convinced that Voldemort is not evil. Am I going insane?"**

"No," Snape said, allowing a sliver of hope to enter his voice. "You are enough of an Incubus now to feel the truth." Harry's eyes met his and he nodded slightly. "The Dark Lord is no more evil then a snake. They both have bad reputations but neither are truly evil." Harry nodded slowly, finding logic in that description. He'd spoken to enough snakes to know that most were actually pretty kind and sweet so long as they weren't threatened.

"**Anything else you want to say?"** Harry asked.

"Much," Snape admitted. "But you aren't ready yet. For now, I just want you to keep an open mind." The conversation was getting weird but Harry nodded regardless. Snape had become…not truly a mentor but a confidant of sorts. A protector. In his moments of slight insanity he had likened the man to a security blanket. Of course he never mentioned that part of his psyche. Snape was friendly now, yes, but he would still murder Potter for such thoughts.

With a slight wave Harry left the class. He quickly scanned the hall before racing through it. Malfoy had this annoying habit of popping up unexpectedly and Harry didn't doubt that his parents were the same way. It wasn't until he was safely encased in the Room of Requirement that he dropped his guard. Maybe Malfoy had finally taken the hint to leave him alone. Dumbledore had mentioned that Snape had used a rather devious spell on Malfoy that made him relive a particular memory in punishment for chasing Harry down the week before. Which memory exactly Harry was not sure and he didn't think he had the right to ask. All that truly mattered to him was that the blonde was quiet.

The first fifteen minutes or so in the Room were spent with Harry getting pounded by his dildo. His horniness was growing daily and he now had to carry the dildo around with him constantly, sneaking into empty classrooms and bathroom stalls. Every time the period was over he would spend a few minutes crying, wishing that Draco really was making love to him instead of the spell merely making him think his mate was there. It was only once that time was over that Harry could begin working on his project. And that's how Hermione found him an hour later, sitting on the bed that the Room had provided for his dildo fucking, his nose buried in a large book.

"Am I rubbing off on you that much?" Hermione teased, jumping up on the bed. Snow mewed irritably at her before resettling in Harry's lap. Hermione was just about to pester the kitten some more when she noticed the name of the book. "A guide to magical careers? Why are you reading that book? I thought you wanted to be an Auror." Harry gave her an irritated glance and gestured at his throat, making her wince. "Yeah, I guess it would be hard to be an Auror when you're mute. So did you find anything interesting?"

Sighing, Harry shut the book and shook his head. There were many interesting careers out there but none could be done by a mute. All the work that could be done by a mute was boring or did not interest Harry at all. All, that is, but one. Potion Master but let's face it. Without Snape's notes Harry absolutely sucked at potions. There was no way he would be able to become a Potion Master.

"I'm sure we'll find something. Perhaps you could become a professional Quidditch player." Harry shook his head slightly. He had considered it but quickly discounted the thought. Quidditch was a fun past time for him. He didn't want it to become a job; that would suck the fun out of it. "Well, we have time. For now, want to hear how Ron totally screwed up in Herbology?" Smiling, Harry nodded and settled down as Hermione began regaling him with the tale of Ron taking on a Venus Spider Vine. By the end the raven was rolling around in silent laughter. He never would have guessed that plants were pervs but what else could he think after a plant disrobed Ron?

After a few minutes more alone the two friends made their way down the CoMC. Hagrid greeted them ecstatically, informing them that he had a wonderful lesson planned for them. That had the two Gryphindors glancing at each other nervously. Every time the half giant said that someone or multiple someone's ended up going to the medical wing. So it was with wary steps that they approached the rest of the class.

"Gather 'round, gather 'round you lot," Hagrid called, almost gleefully. "Today we're gonna learn 'bout a very special creature." The students glanced amongst themselves nervously. They were shepherded over to a small depression where, apparently, the creatures were waiting. "We 'ave 'ere…sarti!"

Harry gaped as he looked at the small group of sartix (apparently the plural form was sarti) that were lounging in wait. A couple looked up to regard the students in bored disinterest while others flat out ignored them. Snow perked up from Harry's shoulder but she made no move to join her kind. In fact, she seemed to be looking down on them. Harry got a feeling she felt superior to them but wasn't sure why. Still, he settled down with the other students as Hagrid began his lesson.

By the time the class was over the students were pleasantly surprised that no one had been injured. The sarti had demonstrated certain abilities or skills that they had when Hagrid asked them to but they kept their interactions with the students to a minimum. Still, the lesson was highly informative to Harry who was looking at Snow in a whole new light.

'I didn't know you could take human form,' he told her mentally. She glared back at him and twitched her tail irritably.

"_It was not something you were meant to know. Those _pteph _shouldn't have revealed that secret. Or several others, for that matter."_

'Is this a bad time to tease you?' he asked, already slightly teasing. Snow bopped him lightly on the head with a scowl but didn't otherwise respond. Harry was just about to continue when Hermione suddenly caught up with him.

"Harry!" she called, falling into step with him. "I forgot to ask earlier. Why did you react so violently when you got covered in that calming draught? You were clutching your stomach; did it harm the baby?" Panic flooded Harry's mind and he clutched his stomach again. Between the relief of the pain and Narcissa scaring him he'd completely forgotten how the baby had lurched forward when the potion made contact. Without think he dashed away, thinking only that he had to reach Madame Pomfrey or Elssa. Another mad dash through the school with him not paying attention to anything but his destination commenced. Snow was holding on grimly to his shoulder, reluctant to distract him as she was half afraid he would crash into a wall or race off a staircase.

Reaching the medical wing Harry slammed through the doors. Pomfrey looked up with a scowl, ready to berate the intruder, but froze when she saw the frantic look on Harry's face. He was so agitated that he couldn't 'talk' slowly but eventually Pomfrey translated his wild gestures and realized he was worried about the baby. She started scanning, wishing she knew what she was scanning for but it wasn't until a very out of breath Hermione finally reached the wing and explained that she understood. One final scan and Pomfrey was able to smile soothingly.

"The baby is fine Mr. Potter," she assured him calmly. "Incubi are notorious for their strange reactions to potions. They can brew them just fine but to ingest them or to touch them will make them react in different ways. However, your baby is perfectly safe and happy now. It was just a bit of a shock to you both." Harry nodded as his tremors finally began to slow. The panic was fading, allowing his mind to unfreeze in small amounts as one thought beat through his thoughts. His baby was fine. He hadn't hurt his baby. "Would you like to know the gender?" The raven snapped his head up, startled.

"**I thought it would be a boy,"** he said slowly. **"Incubi are male sex demons so surely two Incubi can only create another Incubi."**

"This is true," Pomfrey told him fondly. "However, you are not fully Incubi yet. Your reproductive abilities are no different then any female so you are fully capable of having a daughter. After your transformation is complete all children will be male but there is a chance on this baby. So? Do you want to know?" Harry thought for a moment before shaking his head. He wanted it to be a surprise. "Very well. You are free to go whenever you wish." With a grateful smile Harry jumped down off the bed (when had he gotten on the thing?) and left the medical wing with Hermione following. The pair made their way to the dorms and decided to lounge before the fire in the common room. Hermione insisted on studying for a test she had the next day even though she'd already memorized the entire chapter they were being quizzed on. That left Harry alone to his own thoughts as he randomly scratched words onto a piece of parchment, totally unaware of what he was writing.

In our darkest hour

In my deepest despair

Will you still care?

Will you be there?

In my trials

And my tribulations

Through our doubts

And frustrations

In my violence

In my turbulence

Through my fear

And my confessions

In my anguish

And my pain

Through my joy

And my sorrow

In the promise of another tomorrow

I'll never let you part

For you're always in my heart

"Harry?" The raven glanced up to see Neville smiling slightly at him. "It's rather late. Don't you want to go to bed?" Looking around Harry realized that the common room was nearly empty. Most everyone had gone to bed already and he was suddenly aware of how tired he was. With a big yawn he nodded and allowed Neville to guide him upstairs as he was quickly falling asleep on his feet. By the time Neville allowed his body to collapse on his bed Harry was dead asleep. With a fond shake of his head Neville quickly spelled Harry into his pajamas and closed the curtains, ready for his own bed.

It wasn't until much later when Snow was positive that every male was asleep that she snuck out of the room and down to the common room. She carefully picked up the parchment Harry had been writing on and carried it down to the dungeons using her special skills to go through walls and doors. Once she was down in the snake pit she quickly made her way to the bed of the blonde Incubus and deftly jumped up. For a moment she eyed the boy distastefully. She didn't like the boy for what he had done to her Bonded but she also knew that her Bonded would be miserable without the blonde. So just as she had done with the other message Harry had written in Snape's class the week before she placed the parchment on the Incubus's pillow. Before she left she caught sight of Harry's last message and snorted quietly. She wondered vaguely if Malfoy had managed to find the hidden message in the writing but doubted it. No doubt he took it at face value and didn't bother looking farther.

It wasn't until she was back in the halls that Snow ran in to Nagini. The two familiars stared at each other for a moment before Snow nodded slightly. For now they had no quarrel with each other so they chose instead to ignore each other. Nagini continued on her way to see her master's mate while Snow returned to her Bonded's side. If only she could tell him that the next couple months were going to be Hell on Earth.

* * *

><p><em>Babble time: Alright…is anyone understanding this story…cause I'm not. Argh, why do my stories always do this? I have them clearly laid out in my mind as to how they will proceed and at what speed and then I start writing and everything blows up in my face. Damn laptop. Does anyone know how to exorcise a laptop? But no one cares about my personal problems. I could be turned into a giant pink eggplant eating crocodile for all you guys care. Just so long as I keep writing. So let's get on to the reviews.<em>

_A being Of Violet Fire: Yeah, magic does explain just about everything in the HP universe. Please don't hesitate to ask any question you may have. I may respond with 'I can't tell you yet' but I will respond._

_Flying Chrissy: I'm glad you like it!_

_TinksVamps: Yeah, that's probably why people aren't reviewing much. Which is sort of weird since I obviously get their usernames when they alert or favorite so I know a lot of people like the story. But anyhow, you didn't flame at all. My one (minor) quibble with you is that I was getting to most of those things eventually. I just haven't hashed them out yet. Although I guess it is going sort of fast. I'll work on slowing it down a bit._

_RRW: I'm glad you like it._

_Hp-slash-crazy: Yay! I will now be known as Hp-slash-crazy II! Bow before me all of you single number named people! Lol, jk. And yes to Voldy good (in a very roundabout way…he's still a Dark Lord) but no to Dumbles evil. How am I going to pull that off? Just wait and see._

_Gleek263: Lol, yes, I have been told that my stories are addictive. Glad you like it so much though. And thanks for answering my question about Harry. I'm trying to make it realistic but I didn't want to overdo his victim part._

_Petit-dragon 50: …I will assume you mean 'Will he forgive Draco?' or something to that effect. Forgive is probably the wrong term but they will eventually end up together with Harry willingly being with him._

_DracoRiddlePotter: I'm glad you like good Petunia. It was a lot of fun trying to explain her actions and then make her good. As for Ron, he's not a (total) heartless bastard. Remember, he doesn't know that Harry was raped. Hermione only found out because she was with Sirius and Remus when Petunia called them about Harry being raped by Malfoy. Voldemort and Harry will have some positive interaction soon although I guess the term 'work together' is a loose term for what they'll be doing._

_One last thing of note, how many of you picked up the hidden message in Harry's last message? Cause it really is there and it isn't that hard to find. Well, I don't think its hard but then again I put it in. Of course I can see it. Anyway, lets see if any of you can find it._

_Thanks for reading! TTFN!_


	5. The layers of truth and forgiveness

Harry scowled down at the book he was attempting to read. One would think that since he couldn't do non-verbal magic yet he would be excused from actually going to classes and for most of his teachers that was true. Unfortunately Professor McGonagall was not one of them. Ever since she heard that Harry had attended a couple of his classes the day before she insisted that he attend hers as well. So here he was, trying to read about a very gruesome Transfiguration accident that McGonagall wanted a seventeen inch long report on, while students around him tried to turn a bunch of bees into pinecones. Why pinecones, one may wonder. Well, Harry didn't know that but it was no stranger then turning a rat into a goblet. The problem was that all that Transfiguration was making the bees mad and they were now attacking the students. McGonagall had been nice enough to place Harry behind a protective screen but the screams of the others students as they fled the angry bee horde made it difficult to concentrate.

Not that Harry was able to concentrate much anyway. His mind was swirling with thoughts of Malfoy. The day before he had seen the blonde at a distance getting lectured by his father. One part of Harry's mind was happy his mate was in trouble but a much larger part wanted to kill Lucius for hurting his mate. It had taken all of the raven's control to resist running over to the blondes and standing up for Draco. Actually, he would have given in if Seamus hadn't shown up and dragged him away for a game of Exploding Snaps. Now the raven was left with the feelings and trying to figure out what was wrong with him. He'd consulted the book this morning (Everything you could ever want to know about Incubi and a lot of stuff you don't) but his feelings didn't seem to match up with mate thrall. Mate thrall would have made him want to support his mate or subtly show Lucius that Draco had his support because he was the submissive mate in the relationship. The feelings he had should have come from the dominant mate.

The bell finally rang, signaling the end of class, and Harry dashed for the door. Malfoy had class near the Transfiguration room so if Harry didn't hurry he'd-

CRASH! "Watch it-Harry?"

-run into the blonde. Harry glanced up slightly into those silver eyes and froze. They seemed deeper almost and obviously happy to see him but most important was that there were no flecks of red. Whatever else his father may have done to him at least Malfoy was in control of his powers again.

"What the hell are you doing Malfoy?" Hermione yelled, pushing the blonde away to stand between them. The movement broke their eye contact and Harry let his gaze fall. He could hear yelling around him and knew that the Gryffindor's were arguing with the Slytherin's but all he could focus on was the steady thump in his ears. He wasn't sure if it was his heartbeat, Malfoy's, or maybe even the baby's. All he knew was it was drowning out everyone around him.

Hermione was just about to hex the infuriating blonde before her when a hand gently grabbed her arm. Startled, she turned around to see it was Harry holding her back. He shook his head slowly, begging her to let the matter drop. Malfoy hadn't hurt him; there was no need to fight over the incident. All of that was conveyed in a look and Hermione nodded. She threw one last glare at Malfoy before stepping back and walking away, Harry at her side. They both ignored the taunts the Slytherins threw at their backs but the raven was hyper aware of the steel colored eyes that followed him until he was out of sight. He sighed silently but Hermione still caught it.

"This is the first time you two have touched since the rape, isn't it?" she asked softly. Harry shook his head; the blonde had stolen that kiss a while back after all. But it was the first time they'd touched when neither of them were fighting. He also hadn't felt any change in his emotions that signaled the use of pheromones. Even though that should have been good the raven couldn't help but worry. Was Malfoy no longer interested in him? Did he choose a new mate? It was rare for Incubi to drop one mate and choose another but it wasn't unheard of, especially if the chosen mate was reluctant to have sex. Incubi were sex demons after all; it was what they did. Had Harry driven the blonde away with his avoidance?

"Mr. Potter?" The two Griffindors turned in surprise to see Narcissa Malfoy approaching them. She smiled slightly at Harry and nodded to Hermione. "I was hoping I would find you. My husband and I will be staying at Hogwarts for a while yet and I was wondering if I may speak with you?" Hermione glanced at Harry nervously but he just nodded slightly. Out of all of the Malfoys he probably trusted Narcissa the most. She had been human once after all. So with a smile and a promise to meet her at lunch Harry followed the Malfoy matron. The two walked in silence to the suite Narcissa and Lucius were living in which was guarded by a cruel looking elf. Inside the rooms were elegant if simple and made Harry feel rather comfortable.

"Please have a seat Mr. Potter," Narcissa said, gesturing to a chair by the fire. As soon as Harry sat down he knew he was going to whine about getting up. It was so comfortable! His back pain had already started a few days before and it was so hard to find a comfortable chair. The pleasure was apparently clear to Narcissa because she smiled slightly as her eyes warmed. "Comfortable, isn't it? That was the only chair I felt comfortable in while I was pregnant with Draco. Tea?" Harry shook his head no, wondering how to be polite when he couldn't say 'thank you'. Luckily Narcissa wasn't expecting him to come up with anything as she settled into the chair across from him.

"You're probably wondering why I asked you here Mr. Potter," she said but stopped when he frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"**My name is Harry. Not Mr. Potter,"** he said with a twinkle in his eyes. **"Mr. Potter is my father and even if I am going to be a parent soon I'm to young to be called Mr. Potter."** Narcissa chuckled lightly and nodded.

"I agree Harry," she told him with a smile. "However, no matter what your name is you are still probably wondering why I asked you here."

"**I am a bit curious,"** Harry admitted. **"It's not everyday that I get invited to tea by the wife of a man who's tried to kill me and is also the mother of my mate who raped me."**

"Yes, I suppose that's true," she admitted. "Actually, I wanted to offer you my knowledge and experience. According to Draco you are about six weeks pregnant now so the easy part of the pregnancy will end soon." Harry's eyes widened in horror, making her nod in sympathy. "The baby will grow even faster now, you'll be getting cravings that, even though they taste good, will make you sick to your stomach, your body will begin to shift as it becomes an Incubus, and many other things. I had the dubious blessing of an Incubus Healer during my pregnancy but it's not a blessing I would bestow upon anyone else. Therefore I wish to offer my aid to you." She laughed lightly when Harry frantically nodded his head. "Excellent. Is there anything you want to know right now?" Harry thought for a moment before nodding.

"**Two questions,"** he said slowly. **"First, was Malfoy aware that he had raped me or did he honestly think the pheromones made me willing?"**

"The pheromones are a double-edged sword for any Incubus who is trying to woo their mate," Narcissa answered quietly, her eyes distant. "They are creatures of deception and seduction. The pheromones are merely tools they use to capture their prey. It is natural for them to use those tools. Therefore they struggle when they are faced with their mate. They fail to realize that their mate is not just a quick fuck that they don't need to respect. Their mate is so much more and thus cannot be treated the same as ordinary prey. Now, most mates resent the Incubus for the pheromones at first but the sex is so wonderful they are willing to put up with the less desirable aspects. You have not. Neither did I." Harry blinked at her, making her smile. "When Lucius used pheromones on me for the first time I reacted much more violently then you did. I never went so far as to kill him as I knew I would conceive instantly as you did and I wasn't about to suffer alone. But Lucius never had a moment peace around me. I threw every curse I knew at him and sometimes, when I was really upset, I would make up a curse. I also went out of my way to embarrass him. I distinctly remember one particular party when I spelled him bald before all of the guests." Harry laughed quietly at the image, making Narcissa smile.

"**What changed?"** Harry finally asked.

"Lucius apologized." The raven's eyes widened in shock. "Yes, I know. I was shocked too. But not only did he apologize, he did it publicly. Now don't take this the wrong way Harry. Just an apology was not enough for me to forgive him but it was a start. As time went on I saw that Lucius was trying to grow and change. I realized that he was as new to the Mate bond as I was." She met Harry's gaze squarely, her eyes firm. "I won't lie to you Harry. It took years for Lucius and I to get to the point we are at now. In some ways I still do not trust him. In no way do I disagree with the actions you have taken against my son. Distancing yourself from him was a wise choice. But I know one thing about the bond that I feel you _must_ know. In Draco's eyes _you are everything_. Nothing in the entire world will matter as much to Draco as you do. He's messed up and he's hurt you and he will do it again. You must decide if you will allow him the chance to grow." Harry nodded slowly, showing that he understood. He was dubious about believing her but he understood her reasoning. "Thank you. Now, what is your second question?"

"**When do I get my wings?"** The question was so unexpected that Narcissa burst out into peals of laughter. Her whole face lit up, making Harry smile back.

"Ah, wings," she sighed. "I'm actually unsure if you will grow wings. Traditionally only dominates have wings." Harry visibly drooped at the announcement. "However, there is a chance. It's not unheard of for a powerful submissive to grow wings."

The portrait opened just then, making the two near the fire look up in surprise. Lucius stood there, staring at Harry for a moment before sighing. "I'm going to have to get used to seeing the boy, aren't I?"

"Yes you are," Narcissa said, veiled steel in her voice. "Harry is part of the family now." The two mates engaged in a staring contest and didn't notice Harry sneak out. The halls were silent as he made his way through, heading to the library. His mind was whirling from his talk with Narcissa and all she'd said…and didn't say.

'What do you think?' he asked Snow as the kitten leapt up to his shoulder.

"_I think you're thinking to much,"_ she told him dryly, leveling a glare at Madame Pince when the librarian opened her mouth to protest the presence of a cat in the library. _"This whole problem is Malfoy's fault, I admit it, but you aren't making things easier. For once in your life quit thinking and do what you feel is right."_

'Easy for a cat to say,' Harry huffed, sitting in a desk by the window and taking out a piece of parchment. He'd never know why he'd gotten in the habit of writing aimlessly but it was a good way for him to vent. Of course, he'd feel a lot better if he knew where his last two 'ramble parchments' had gone. They'd both vanished and he couldn't find them, despite looking. Still, they were of low importance and the curiosity as to their location wasn't enough to make Harry quit writing.

Meet me after dark again and I'll hold you

I want nothing more then to see you there

And maybe tonight

We'll fly so far away

We'll be lost before the dawn

If only night could hold you

Where I can see you my love

Then let me never ever wake again

And maybe tonight

We'll fly so far away

We'll be lost before the dawn

Somehow I know we can't wake again

From this dream

It's not real

But its ours

Maybe tonight

We'll fly so far away

We'll be lost before the dawn

Maybe tonight

We'll fly so far away

We'll be lost before the dawn

Another bell drew Harry out of his musings and he rose quickly, realizing that it was lunch time. He didn't even notice that he'd left the parchment behind, let alone that Snow picked it up and started her way to the dungeons.

Harry had just reached the Entrance Hall and was about to join Hermione and Neville when it happened. A sudden bang made everyone jump and right there, before almost the entire student body, a giant banner appeared at the Great Hall doors. There were only three words but they were enough to make Harry's eyes tear up.

I'm sorry, Harry.

If was Malfoy. It had to be Malfoy. He was the only one to apologize in such a grand way (while being totally anonymous) and besides, the banner was colored in green and silver. But Harry didn't mind that because he knew just how much pride the Slytherin Prince would have had to swallow to make the banner and set it up. The raven was in a daze, allowing Hermione to gently lead him into the Great Hall and to the Gryffindor table, as he finally understood what Narcissa had said. She was right. Harry meant more to Draco then anything and that included the one thing Harry had always thought came first for any Malfoy. His pride.

Taking a deep breath, Harry spun out of Hermione's grip and marched across the Great Hall. With every step he took the chatter died until the entire Hall was silent as he came to a stop. Everything was still with many eyes on him until Malfoy slowly turned around to face him. Both sets of eyes were guarded but Malfoy's eyes ached with longing while Harry's flashed with steel. Before he could second-guess himself he reached out and grabbed the blonde's hand and placed it on his baby bulge. Instantly he saw the desire flash in those silver eyes and finally understood why Narcissa could even consider forgiving Lucius. With a trembling touch he reached out and lifted Draco's gaze so that their eyes were meeting again.

"**It's your baby too and I'll be damned if I'm going to go through this alone,"** he mouthed slowly, wanting to make sure his mate understood. **"You will not touch me sexually, you will not use your powers to influence me, and you will not, under any circumstances, tell me that you love me. Follow those rules and I promise to quit avoiding you."** Draco didn't say anything. He didn't have to. His eyes said everything and whatever was not said in his eyes was said in the lone tear that escaped him. Harry knew that across the Hall Hermione was sobbing in joy. At the head table Narcissa was smiling at him pride while Snape gave a tiny nod of approval.

But all that faded away in the face of his mate. Both knew there were going to be problems. Neither were naïve enough to believe that they wouldn't fight again or that the relationship was perfect. All either cared about was that they both were willing to try now.

Snow watched them both, smirking inwardly. She knew the end of their fight was inevitable. How long it would last she wasn't sure but for the time at least there was peace.

Well, peace for them. She still had to deliver those stupid messages Harry kept writing. After all, Malfoy needed to know Harry's thoughts if this was ever going to work in any permanent stasis and the raven was to stubborn to just give the parchments to the blonde. Oh well, everything will come in time. Until then she would continue playing messenger. Harry so owed her a big bowl of tuna for this.

* * *

><p><em>Babble time: Alright, starting to flesh out the story a bit now. A little bit here, a little bit there, I still haven't figured out what the hell Snow is doing in this story. I guess I should also start explaining the whole Voldemort thing soon. Let's just see what happens, agreed? Oh yes, this time the message Harry wrote are the lyrics to the song <span>Before the Dawn<span> by Evanescence. The message before this was the very ending part of Will you be there by Michael Jackson and the first message with the hidden message was written by yours truly. Now that that's out of the way, on to the reviews!_

_RRW: I guess Snape is Voldemort's mate. The story hasn't told me yet and I obviously don't know since I had no intention of giving Voldemort a mate. Stupid story._

_Nuriko Kurosaki: Welcome to the story and I'm really glad you like it. I do look over the chapters a couple times before I post them. Trust me, if I didn't there would be a ton more mistakes. But I always seem to miss a couple and as I have no beta I just do what I can. And thank you for the spelling correction. I've seen it both ways but you're right, Gryffindor is the correct way. I agree fully about Vernon and as for Draco…his wasn't a classic rape. More like dub-con since deep down Harry really didn't want to have sex. The baby is going to be a blast when its born, trust me. I'm also glad you like Petunia. As for Duddley…oops. I think I forgot him. As you can see, Narcissa and Lucius will have bigger parts. I just am gradually building the surrounding characters._

_seerstella: No, you aren't the only one who thinks that Draco didn't mean to rape Harry. As Narcissa explained to us all, Incubi don't really know any better in the beginning. Draco suffered for the trick more then Harry did. But it obviously isn't mean!Draco._

_Bb: No exorcising laptops unless it's mine._

_Hp-slash-crazy: I'm not totally sure who Nagini is going to check on. It's not Draco because he's Harry's mate but I'm not sure it's Snape either. Of course I'm keeping the name Hp-slash-crazy II. Makes me feel all important. But wait, that would make you my parent. O.o_

_SlythinGirl2013: Order up! Another helping of the story. Please enjoy._

_So…none of you found the secret message? Did I hide it that well?_

_Thanks for reading! TTFN!_


	6. One step forward, ten steps back

**"Why can't I get this?"** Harry screamed silently at the room. **"Why can't I use bloody non-verbal magic?"** He'd been trying and struggling to learn ever since Sirius had proposed the idea back during summer break but no progress had been made. No one said anything but Harry could tell that the adults were worried about his lack of progress. They whispered to each other when they thought he couldn't hear and worried because, with his magical strength, he should have been able to do simple spells by then. Yet there was nothing. Not even a puff of smoke or a couple sparks.

"It takes time Harry," Sirius tried to soothe, warily watching his godson. He wasn't worried about himself so much as he was for Harry's safety. It was rare for Harry to get to the point where he willing caused harm to his body but apparently this was one of those times. "You're doing great so far. Non-verbal magic is difficult learn; most witchs and wizards never learn it. Just give it time."

**"How much time?"** Harry screamed at him. **"I've been studying and training for two months and nothings changed!"** As Sirius could hardly refute that he just nodded slowly. Harry's lack of progress was more then just frustrating. It was worrying too. How could such a powerful wizard be incapable of such a simple thing? Before he could continue Harry had spun away and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Students hurried to get out of Harry's way as he stormed through the halls. His eyes were snapping fire and some of the younger years would later whimper as they claimed that he was breathing smoke. The older students who knew Harry merely stepped aside and let him pass. A few casually wondered what had angered the normally kind and happy raven but they didn't dare dwell on the thought. Each of them understood Harry's desire for privacy and were loathe to intrude.

Harry was just about to exit the Entrance Hall when someone grabbed him. He whirled around, snarling, but paused when he saw it was Draco. The blonde observed him for a moment in silence before sighing. "Silent magic still not working?" he asked kindly. He and Hermione were the only students who knew what Harry was doing with Sirius every couple days but Draco was the only one Harry allowed to see his true frustration.

**"Why won't it work?"** Harry whined, allowing the blonde to guide him to the, thankfully deserted, fountain. **"Everyone says I'm powerful enough I should be able to blow up an entire building with a thought so why can't I master a simple summoning charm?"**

"I don't know," Draco admitted, gently rubbing the raven's back. "Maybe you're trying to hard. Maybe your magical core just isn't ready for silent magic. Maybe you subconciously don't think you can do magic with speaking. Or maybe a bad luck leprechaun decided to take up resedency in your trunk." Harry glared at the blonde but it was to late as his lips were tugged into a smile. For a moment he allowed himself to relax as Draco smiled back but then he fell back on his problems and resumed scowling at the ground as if it had personally wronged him. He heard the blonde release a sigh but when nothing else was said he allowed his mind to wander on. However, eventually that wandering took him away from his failure with non-verbal magic and instead focused on the blonde beside him. It had been very strange, getting used to the blonde the past couple days but it was a work in progress for them both. Sometimes Draco would push for more then Harry would give and would get kicked out of whatever room Harry was in. Sometimes Harry was to stubborn to admit he needed help and Draco would literally pin him to some surface and the raven agreed to accept aid. So far neither had managed to drive the other away and Harry counted that as a win in his books.

Harry subtly glanced at the blonde from behind his fringe. Draco was relaxed and glancing through one of his text books even as his hand began stroking Harry's hair. The sight was common enough but it still made Harry's breath catch. There were times he couldn't believe that someone as perfect as Draco Malfoy had chosen him as a mate but then Draco's eyes would catch his and all his worries vanished. For whatever reason he was the blonde's chosen mate and that was enough for them both.

A quiet mew drew both gazes to the ground where Snow was waiting, not exactly patiently. Harry smiled at her and held out his arm for her to jump onto so she could settle in his lap. He chuckled silently when Draco scowled at the kitten but made no move to disturb her. **"That reminds me. How did she slow you down when you were chasing me through the castle? Remember? When she was the tiger?"**

"I remember," Draco drawled, still glaring at Snow who glared right back. "She threw me into a wall and then collapsed the wall on to me. I would have caught you if she hadn't." His gaze finally met Harry's and softened. "So maybe it's a good thing she did." He returned to glaring at Snow. "Not that I'm not still mad about it." Harry laughed lightly about their antics before hugging Snow close to him. He breathed in her unique scent and began to relax. He always seemed calmer when she was around.

_"I know what your problem is with non-verbal magic is,"_ she said, instantly catching both of their attentions.

'You do?' Harry asked, barely daring to breath.

_"Of course,"_ she huffed, seemingly insulted that he would doubt that she was spek anything but the truth. _"The problem is that you are starting to small. You're a powerful wizard, Harry. Your magic is vast and you finally understand that. If you were just coming into magic like you were when you were eleven then you'd be able to cast small spells silently but you aren't. You need the challenge and the drain of a major spell."_

"That actually makes sense," Draco admitted, choosing to put his dislike for the kitten to the side. "It's not unheard of for a very powerful and accomplished wizard to struggle when using a small spell they haven't used for a long time." Now that he mentioned it Harry could remember reading some of those accounts. Thus far Sirius and Remus had had him practicing the summoning spell and the levitation charm. Neither one requiered much power or thought. Come to think of it, the mere thought of those spells made Harry bored.

**"So what should I try instead?"** he asked.

"How about the Patronus Charm?" Draco suggested. "It's a spell you've already mastered but it takes a lot of power and concentration." Snow was nodding in agreement so Harry nodded as well. He and Draco stood to go into the castle again while Snow merely clawed her way on to Harry's shoulder and settle down for the ride. Of course, she would later claim that it was total coinisidence that the shoulder she chose to perch on was nearest to Malfoy and thus she could hiss at him every time he tried to hold Harry's hand. She truly was happy her Bonded had found peace with his mate but she'd be damned if she let the blonde off without some punishment. He wasn't the one who'd had to comfort Harry as the raven had suffered from the after effects of the rape.

"I hate your cat," Draco muttered, leaning aside when Snow swiped at him. Harry was the only one who could get away with calling her a cat.

**"She's not exactly fond of you either,"** Harry said with a smile. He knew if Snow had any actual issues with Malfoy she would not let him get so close to him. In many ways he approved of willingness to punish the blonde. It meant he didn't have to.

Before the bickering could continue they reached Sirius chambers. Harry nodded to the guardian portrait, a beautiful rattlesnake who had volunteered to guard the room when she had learned that Harry was mute but good still speak Parseltongue. **_"Hello Synthia,"_** Harry hissed.

**_"Hello Harry. I assume you're here to see Sirius."_**

**_"Yes I am. Lion's_**_ **roar." ** _Both rolled their eyes at the password but Sirius had insisted that if he was to be trapped in a room guarded by a snake he was going to make sure that everyone knew he was a Griffindor. Like his choice of red and gold for his furnishings wasn't proof enough. Harry always had to blink away the shock when he entered his godfather's rooms and Draco actually hissed in disgust. Luckily Sirius was already in the main room so they didn't have to search to find them. He seemed startled at their appearence but as neither was bleeding or appeared mad he assumed nothing was wrong.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, putting his book down. Draco glanced at Harry for permission to explain and Harry nodded at him. Sirius was still learning how to read lips and Harry wasn't patient enough just then to 'talk' slow. He tuned out the conversation between his godfather and his mate as he began to browse the bookshelf. There were books on every subject including a large tome of practical jokes that Harry was not surprised to see. However, he was slightly surprised when he saw a book on animagi. When he took it down he realized it was a book on how to become an animagi and was filled with excitment. Maybe Sirius would let him borrow the book.

"Harry?" The raven turned around to see Sirius and Draco were watching him. "I think Draco may have a good idea." Snow huffed irritably. It was her idea, not his. "Want to go try it now?" Harry nodded enthusiasticly, making Sirius chuckle. It was a large improvment to the rage Harry had been in after the failed lesson. He also noticed the book in his godson's hands and smiled. "Do you want to learn how to be an animagis?" Harry glanced at the book before meeting Sirius' eyes and nodding firmly. "Awesome. We'll start those lessons tomorrow, alright? Until then you can borrow the book." The smile the raven gave him made both Sirius and Draco nearly melt with relief. Neither was exactly fond of dealing with a depressed Harry.

Together the trio, not including Snow, walked down to the room where Harry trained. Sirius added a few extra wards to protect the room from the powers of the Patronus while Draco simply held Harry close. The adult was slightly surprised how at ease Harry was with the blonde but he knew better then to question it. Both teens had been seperated from their mate for a month and a half so it wasn't so unusual for them to be as close as possible now. Once the new wards were in place he stepped back and smiled at Harry. "Alright then, give it a try." Nodding, Harry took a deep breath and stepped into the middle of the room. Everything was silent as he concentrated on a happy memory and let it fill him. Draco could see it as Harry's lips slowly formed the words of the spell but nothing happened. Just as despair started to crush the blonde the raven suddenly glared and silently roared the spell. Instantly the silver stag shot from the wand and nearly careened into the wall. Once it had safely stopped it looked around, apparently confused at the lack of enemies, but when no dark creature appeared it snorted and turned towards Harry. All three humans were staring at it in shock while Snow just sat to the side, smiling smugly. With a trembling hand Harry reached out and patted the stag who proceeded to ruffle his hair before fading away. He stood still a moment more before whirling around with a smile that could have lit the world.

"That was great Harry!" Draco enthused, picking up his mate and spinning him around. He could feel Harry's silent laughter and started laughing aloud for him. At some point Sirius joined in the celebration and they all spun in circles until they were to dizzy to stand anymore. Even as the lay on the ground the continued to laugh, uncaring that Snow was staring at them as if they'd lost their minds. Maybe they had.

The bell rang just then, signalling the end of classes and the beginning of dinner. The three humans finally stood, dusting each other off, before exiting the room. Snow left them at some point, setting off on a mission only she knew of, so they were alone on their way to the Great Hall.

"Draco?" The blonde turned to see his father standing nearby. "May I speak to for a moment?" Draco glanced at Harry but when the raven smiled and nodded his permission he just smiled back and jogged over to his father. Harry stopped to wait, waving Sirius on to dinner with a silent promise to catch up soon. A deluge of students started pouring in just then, effectivly cutting Harry off from his mate and the first stirrings of worry began worming around in his gut.

"Potter!" Startled, Harry turned around to see Ron storming towards him. Draco also noticed the blonde and moved to stand between his mate and the danger but Lucius held him back. "Harry won't like it if you're constantly defending him instead of letting him protect himself," the older Incubus hissed, trying to make his son see sense. Before Draco could respond Ron reached Harry.

"You mother fucking son of a bitch!" Ron screamed right in Harry's face, making the raven stumble back in surprise. "It's all your fault! Everything was going fine for me before you took Hermione away from me. We were dating, you bloody fucker, and then suddenly you're all she cares about. She's completely forgotten me! I just asked her to marry me after we graduate and you want to know what her answr was? She said she couldn't marry me yet because _you still need her!_ You've taken away the one person in this world that I love. So I'm going to take away the one that you love." Then, before anyone could react, Ron hauled back and punched Harry...right in the stomach.

* * *

><p><em>Babble time: Alright, apparently Fanfic is refusing to send me alerts for story reviews now so I actually thought everyone hated the last chapter and refused to review. Boy was I wrong. I love you all! But I'm running low on time so let's get to the review responces, alright?<em>

_S: I like your term. Made up...ish. That's the perfect description for these two. I may throw in a couple more problems but for now everything is fine for them._

_YinKeket: O.O' You just reviewed all of my chapters! OMG! I love you! Lol, yes, Snow is a very important kitty. I don't know what she's doing in the story but she is important._

_Anatin123: Lol, St Patty's Day luck must still be with you. I'm glad you found my fic. Glader still that you like it._

_GeorgieGirl999: Harry won't exactly boss Draco around. Torture him, yes, that will occur. But yes, the hormones are about to go start flying and poor Harry gets to go along for the ride. I'm so evil. :P_

_Hp-slash-crazy: Sometimes I hate Lucius too. He's sort of neutral in my story so far so we shouldn't be able to get to angry with him...I think._

_Luthiaesc: O.O Best...review...EVER! Although, to be honest, I don't think I deserve so much praise. I'm not conciously trying to make my writing unique. Still, I'm super, super glad you like the story and I'm glad I can give a new twist to a genre that can get annoyingly repeditive. Also, congrats, you found the message. now watch everyone go to your review to try and figure it out. ^.^_

_Nuriko Kurosaki: Yes, they're back together...for now. Who knows how long it will last. Huh? I know how long? No I don't. This story is no longer on speaking terms with me. Stupid story. Anyway, yes, Narcissa will be important to both the story and Harry's sanity._

_So, I am actually typing this on Fanfic since my comp is acting like the piece of shit that it is and won't let me type ANYTHING! Therefore there may be an increase in misspelled words although I'm trying to catch them. My apologies._

_Thans for reading! TTFN!_


	7. The River

With a sigh, Draco allowed his bag to drop to the floor with a thump. He didn't even think before collapsing in the nearby chair and raking his hand through his hair. If Pansy had seen him she would have shrieked at his bed-ragged appearance. His hair was un-gelled and un-combed. His clothes were wrinkled. There was an ink stain on his hand that he hadn't spelled away yet. He wasn't entirely sure if he was even wearing socks and his tie wasn't hanging right. But none of that mattered because Harry still wasn't awake.

It had been three days since Ron's attack. Draco had nearly torn the Weasley's head off but Harry's scream as he'd fallen had distracted him. He knew the redhead was being held somewhere in the castle but hadn't bothered trying to find him. Every spare moment he had was spent at Harry's side in the medical wing. Madame Pomfrey had done everything possible to stabilize both Harry and the baby but whether either one would survive was still up in the air. So far Draco was just waiting for Harry to wake up. He'd fallen into a coma and no one had managed to rouse him from it.

"Harry," Draco breathed, allowing his eyes to close. It hurt him to look at his mate as he lay on the bed, pale as death. Sometimes, when others were there to stand beside him, the blonde could bear to look at Harry and imagine that he was just sleeping. Sometimes he was able to talk to the raven and imagine that he was just ignoring him. But this was not either of those times. Draco knew if he was to look at Harry now he would see a lifeless body, no matter how much he may know that his mate had not died yet.

Yet. That was a horrible word. He hated it; he really did. That word had destroyed many of his hopes and dreams growing up. The Dark Lord hasn't returned _yet_. The ministry won't support us _yet_. His mate hadn't come of age _yet_. Harry Potter wasn't awake _yet_. Each time it wasn't that what he wanted wouldn't come around but rather that he had to wait longer still. Sometimes what he wanted never did occur. Sometimes that 'yet' stayed on the end of the sentence and left him waiting forever. He wasn't sure he could survive if that was the case this time.

"Draco?" The blonde slowly opened his eyes and tried to smile when he saw Hermione. They'd built a temporary truce based on their shared love of Harry but the more time they spent together the more Draco started to see why Harry cherished her. It wasn't for her looks even though she was actually quite beautiful now. It wasn't really for her intelligence like Draco had always assumed. It was for her listening. Hermione had the ability to sit and listen to anyone about anything and not make them feel stupid. Merlin knows she'd listened to Draco often enough the last few days. She probably knew more about him then any of his Slytherin friends with the possible exception of Blaise. Therefore it was no surprise when she saw straight through his fake smile and sighed. "No change?"

"Of course not," Draco sighed, wincing at the roughness of his voice. "Madame Pomfrey says that until Harry wakes up she can't do anything more to help them." Tears welled up in his eyes but he let them, knowing that tears around Hermione would not be taken as a sign of weakness. "He's not going to wake up, is he?" His parents would have vehemently denied that there was even a chance that Harry wouldn't wake. His teachers would have assured him that Harry was strong and would fight his way back. His friends would have told him that Potter was to stubborn to let something like this keep him down.

"I don't know," Hermione said, sitting on the bed next to Harry's. That's why Draco liked her. She didn't lie to him. She acknowledged that Harry might die and, though she clearly wished for him to recover, she wasn't stupid enough to not prepare for that chance. "Madame Pomfrey says that every day Harry stays in a coma the chances of him waking are smaller. Of course," she tried to smile at him, "Harry has sort of become known for beating the odds." Her eyes dimmed even as they shimmered with unshed tears. "But eventually the odds are going to catch up with him." There was nothing Draco could say to that so he didn't bother trying. He just nodded before finally glancing down.

Harry was just as he'd been the last hundred times Draco had seen him since that attack. Pale, still, and doing a remarkable impersonation of a corpse. After a moment of staring Draco could pick out the subtle rise and fall of his mate's chest. As always once he was assured that Harry was still alive Draco's silver eyes drifted to the baby bulge. It was getting pretty obvious as Harry approached the two month mark. The idea of losing Harry caused Draco physical pain but the idea of losing the baby drove to the blonde to his knees. It was more than the simple fact that Incubi were very family oriented creatures despite being sex demons. It was the hard fact that the child was a mixture of him and Harry. He'd always known that he loved the stubborn Gryffindor. He'd been so afraid to find his mate, thinking that the connection he had with his mate would destroy his love for the raven so nothing could have made him happier then when he'd seen Harry on the train and _known_ that the love of his life was his mate. And now, thanks to Ron, he was about to lose the two lives that meant more to him then anything else in the world.

"Please don't leave me," he whispered, not caring if Hermione heard. But as always, there was no answer.

* * *

><p>The rocking of the water was soothing. Harry had never noticed before just how much he enjoyed being rocked by the gentle waves. It reminded him of when his mother would rock him in her arms and the thought always brought a tired smile to his lips. In this place between light and shadow nothing mattered more then memories.<p>

"You're smiling again." Harry glanced at the hooded being that rowed the ferry and nodded.

"I was thinking of my mother," the raven answered sleepily. "Do you think she'll be happy to see me?"

"I doubt that," the figure replied calmly. "I've never seen anyone on the far shore be truly happy to have a loved one join them. They always cry because they know what it means for their loved ones to come. But don't worry. The tears pass in time." Harry couldn't find a reason to argue so he just nodded and looked at the river again. The water was pitch black and not very inviting but its quiet murmurs soothed every tense feeling away. Silence stretched between the two beings in the ferry until Harry turned again to regard his guide.

"Are you Death?" he asked with the innocence of a child.

"That is just one of my names," the figure said, never ceasing in its rowing. "Just as taking you to the afterlife is just one of my duties."

"Oh," Harry said, turning back to the river. A tiny part of him knew that he should be bothered by the news but he couldn't manage the anxiety needed. The river really was to peaceful. "So I'm dead?"

"Not yet," Death answered. "You are between life and death. Eventually you must choose which shore you wish to go to." Harry glanced at it curiously. He'd never heard of someone getting a choice between life and death. "Normally the choice would be made for you but though you are not yet immortal you are no longer truly mortal. Your kind has traveled this river many times before."

"My kind?" Harry questioned.

"Demons. All sorts of demons. This river is their land. Though I have not seen one for many millennia. They have lost their way and have forgotten how to return. Perhaps you can teach them, if you choose to return."

"Perhaps," Harry said with a shrug. His gaze was drawn to the other being on the boat, the one that sat behind him. It was a young child with white hair and deep green eyes. She hadn't said a word but had listened intently whenever Harry spoke. "Death, who is the girl?"

"I know not," Death answered as the girl blinked at him. "She has no name." That answer didn't seem right to Harry but he had no reason to not believe it so he chose instead to ignore it. Again he turned to focus on the river but instead noticed how much closer the far shore had been.

"Death, are we getting closer to land?"

"We are," it replied, it's strokes of the oars still smooth and steady. "Even your kind cannot remain on the river indefinitely. As you've made no effort to return to the shore you came from I must take you to the distant shore." Harry nodded, even as he watched people walk around the approaching shore. So many old faces, all etched with some sort of distant sorrow. Some stared out over the river as though they could see the shore they all had come from. Others steadfastly refused to look at the water as though ignoring it would make it go away. And there, standing near the pier, was Harry's parents as they waited for his arrival.

"If I reach the shore will I ever be able to return?" he asked, finding he could not muster the emotions needed to care about the answer.

"No." The answer was firm and steadfast, leaving no question that it was also final. Harry shrugged, still unable to care. He couldn't think of anything on the other shore that he would miss or regret leaving.

"Draco." Startled, Harry turned to look at the little girl. She was curled up in a ball and rocking slightly as tears fell down her cheeks. "Draco," she said again, her voice barely above a whisper. "Harry. Draco. Warmth. Happy. Hermione. Laughter. Mate. Love. Parents." Her green eyes met his with salty tears. "Draco."

"Draco," Harry breathed. The word on his tongue warmed his body and feeling began swimming in his chest again. The air above began to shimmer, drawing both sets of green eyes and the watched as the stars twirled and danced. Distantly Harry could feel someone holding him as water dripped on his face. No, not water. Tears. "Draco." A steady ache in his chest reminded him what it felt like to have a beating heart. "Draco." His lungs hurt as he struggled to pull in another breath. He could feel strong arms around his chest and wondered why they held him so desperately.

"Death," Harry said, still staring at the stars. "I want to go home." A faint voice brushed his ears, the words barely distinguishable as they wound into his mind.

May you find solace in the gentle arms of sleep

Despite the wolves outside your door

In time you will see them all as harmless

And their idle threats easy to ignore

And if ever fate should choose to smite you

Stand your ground, never walk away

Please don't ever let the world defeat you

Don't get buried in its decay

As you drift into the gauzy realm of dreams

May you take comfort in the thought that you are safe

For it only takes a fraction of a second

For all of this to change

Return to me

When slumber's fog has lifted

Return to me

Stronger than before

As you sink beneath the soothing streams of time

May you be thankful that you had another day

For there comes a time when each of us will enter

A sleep from which we will never wake

And if ever fate should choose to smite you

Stand your ground, never walk away

Please don't ever let the world defeat you

Don't get buried in its decay

Close your eyes now, if only for a moment

For it's time you get some rest

The wolves are gone and nothing here can harm you

Let go of your fragile consciousness

Return to me

When slumber's fog has lifted

Return to me

Stronger than before

"If that is what you wish," the figure answered, deftly changing course. Harry glanced one final time at his parents but smiled when he saw that they were smiling proudly at him. Maybe someday he'd come back to the river and visit with them once he had the ability to leave their shore whenever he wished. But that was a long time away and he had more important things to worry about. So without a single glance at the river he turned to look eagerly for the land of the living to come back into view. He didn't even notice when the girl smiled at him.

"Mommy," she said quietly before fading away, returning to the warmth of her home to wait.

* * *

><p>"Draco, please let go," Narcissa pleaded, reaching again for her son. Again her hand was swatted away with an angry hiss. The argument had been going on for hours and no progress had been made. "Love, please let Harry go," she said gently. "It's been to long. He's not going to wake up."<p>

"I won't let you kill him," Draco snarled, holding his mate close. He knew tears were falling off his face but he couldn't manage to care in the wake of what was happening. The adults had given up hope of Harry waking and chosen instead to put him to sleep like they would a rabid dog. It had only been a week. They'd said that they would give him time but they only gave him a week.

"Draco," Lucius said, trying to calm his son but he was warned off with a growl. He knew his son blamed him for not allowing him to protect his mate when the Weasley had first threatened him. Contrary to popular belief he did feel regret for that choice but he couldn't change it. He allowed his gaze to travel over his son and winced. The younger Malfoy had fully released his control and was in his true form as a warning to stay away. No one would know how he kept his claws from cutting into Harry but he did. His wings encircled them both, ensuring that Harry's body was close to his without damaging the raven.

"Ms. Granger, perhaps you can help," Madame Pomfrey said, referring to the Gryffindor who sat in a bed nearby. Hermione glanced up from the book she was reading with a look of disbelief.

"Why would I help?" she asked. "I agree with Draco. Neither of us will allow you to kill Harry." The blonde smiled weakly at her but she brushed it away. Her actions wouldn't have been any different if he hadn't decided to protect his mate.

The adults began bickering again but Draco didn't care. The longer they bickered the longer his Harry was alive. Sighing, he hugged the raven closer and started to sing again. He'd noticed that Harry's skin seemed just a little warmer whenever he sang. Really, he had no idea where the words were coming from. They had just come from some corner of his mind he wasn't aware he had. Sirius had visited the other day before heading out on a mission and heard the song. He'd told Draco that it was the lullaby Lily had always sung to Harry when he was having trouble going to sleep. Why he was singing a lullaby to a person he wanted to wake up was not a question Draco felt like focusing on so he just sang.

"Draco." The blonde froze mid note and stared. For just a second he'd been sure that Harry had said his name but the second passed and he looked around, trying to find whoever had called him. However, no one was looking at him. He frowned in confusion, wondering when he had started imagining things, and turned back to his mate.

Harry's eyes were open and staring at him in confusion. **"Draco? Why are you crying?"**

"Harry!" Draco cried, instantly crushing the younger boy to him. His cry caught everyone's attention but Hermione was the first to see why he'd called out. With a cry of her own she shot from the bed and grabbed Harry in a hug that he awkwardly returned considering that Draco still hadn't let him go. Chaos broke out around them but the three on the bed couldn't have cared less. They just held onto each other and if one of them cried, so what? No one cares if you cry when everyone around you is crying with you.

* * *

><p><em>Babble time: Sorry I didn't update yesterday. I had a killer migraine after sitting through two assemblies at school. Let's just say the students at my school have no problem whatsoever in screaming their lungs out. Also, the song Draco sings is <em>_Lullaby__ by Assemblage 23. But again, I know none of you care so let's just get to the reviews. I've got a bone to pick with a reviewer anyway and I'm anxious to get to it._

_Murple the purple: Very good, you found it. No, the other two don't have messages. Hope you liked the last chapter and this one too._

_Maradersbanana: I'm glad you like the story and I'm glad it's interesting. There's very little that is worse then a boring story._

_Nuriko Kurosaki: O.O Breathe. Breathe. Sheesh, I think you blew out my ear drums. Uh…are you made at me or just Ron? Cause if you're mad at me I better run for the hills now._

_Anon: Ah yes, I finally get to you. I have three things I'd like to say. Firstly congrats, you are my first flame. Second, not only did I clearly state in the summary that there was rape I also find it interesting that you read all the way to chapter six before calling me a "disgusting peice of shit" when the rape occurred in the first two chapters (and you spelled 'piece' wrong to boot). Thirdly, what is it with flamers leaving anonymous reviews so I can't chew their asses out in private instead of taking up everyone's time here?_

_CooCoobird: I'm glad you like it._

_BloodyRose90: My initial reactions: Ron is a bastard, not a bitch. I don't like insulting all the female dogs in the world. My second reaction: Ron will die eventually. Never fear. My third reaction: Yeah, I probably shouldn't have sworn either. Sorry._

_YinKeket: I must say I love your reviews. It looks like you just review as you read and just add each thought as it comes. You also seem to really like Snow. She appreciates it very much._

_So I'm guessing a lot of people are mad at me about Ron and that's why I haven't gotten many reviews. Oh well, you win some, you lose some._

_Thanks for reading! TTFN!_


	8. Plotting and Healing

With a sigh Harry glared at his dinner. Garlic mashed potatoes with bits of anchovies, sauerkraut mixed with applesauce, and tuna fish fillet with ice cream and a drizzle of blood. Wholly puke worthy in every regard but he'd already tried a bite of each serving and the baby was ecstatic.

"Please tell me you're not eating that," Draco pleaded as he sat beside his mate. The blonde barely managed to glance at the plate before he had to look away.

"He is," Hermione said, refusing to look up from her book. "It's actually better then what he had for breakfast. I'll never be able to look at sushi the same way again." Draco looked at his mate with a horrified face but Harry just shrugged.

"**It's your baby," **he said, taking another bite. The food was easier to swallow when he wasn't looking at it. **"I don't control what they want; I just give it to them."** Draco just shook his head in amazement, not so much at what Harry was saying but that he was saying it at all. It was hard for him to remember that just yesterday his mate was in a coma and about to be killed.

"Well then as soon as the baby is born I will teach them how to have a proper palate," he said dismissively, knowing Harry wouldn't take it wrong. He did glare when the kitten smirked at him. She certainly wasn't making things very easy for him. It was like she'd made it her mission in life to remind him how much he'd hurt his mate.

"I hate to bring this up," Hermione said, finally putting the book down but steadfastly ignoring Harry's plate. "But what are we going to do about Ron?" The two Incubi suddenly tensed and she regret speaking. For a long moment there was silent but then Hermione picked up the faint hum that meant one of them was growling. Her eyes went to Draco first but at his surprised look they both realized it was Harry who was growling.

"**That bastard,"** the raven growled silently. **"He tried to kill my child. I want him dead Hermione."** His hand rested on the bulge and he felt the child roll over. When he closed his eyes he could still see the little girl in the back of the ferry. How could Ron have tried to take her away from him? **"He must die."**

"I agree," she said slowly, trying not to trigger the raven's temper. "But Molly raised a fit when the Malfoy's demanded his death and she bullied Dumbledore into forbidding it. He isn't allowed within a hundred feet of you but that's all. That's his only punishment."

"**That's not good enough!"** Harry roared, shooting to his feet. **"Don't you understand? He tried to kill my child!"**

"We know Harry," Draco said, holding the raven close to him and praying he wouldn't get killed by his irate mate. "Hermione and I have done everything we could but everyone is adamant in protecting the Weasel." He buried his nose in Harry's hair and inhaled, trying to calm himself so that he could calm his love. "It's because we're Dark creatures Harry. No one in the wizarding world is going to help us or stand up for us. Mother and father have already appealed to the Incubi council but it could take years for them to tack actions. Incubi aren't exactly known for their quick actions." After a tense moment Harry nodded but when he pulled away his face was still tense.

"**Maybe we should find someone who will stand up for us,"** Harry sighed. **"But who?"**

"My master could help." Harry whirled around, wide eyed, just in time to see a fully transformed Snow jump between him and a very large snake that he recognized as Nagini. Draco and Hermione were also scrambling, just now seeing what Harry and Snow had already seen, but the raven didn't really care about them just then. Unless he'd had a moment of total insanity (an option that actually made a lot of sense) Nagini had just said that Voldemort would help him get revenge against Ron.

"Would you mind repeating that?" he hissed, not even realizing that he was doing it but Draco did and the blonde was suddenly joyous. If he could just learn to speak parsletongue then he and Harry could finally communicate!

"My master could help," Nagini repeated with the level of patience only snakes and unicorns possessed. "He has become quite interested in this series of events and wishes for me to offer his aid in your efforts to punish Ronald Weasley."

"We're talking about the same master, right?" Harry asked, hardly believing his ears. "Voldemort? Snake looking guy? Was dead, now isn't? Worst Dark Lord in decades? Hates me and wants me dead? That master?" Nagini shivered at the last point but remained silent. Instead she gave him a mildly aloof look and turned to slither away. Her answer could not have been more clear if she had screamed it at him. She wasn't going to argue with him; he could either follow her or stay behind. Harry glanced at Snow who had an uneasy look on her face but she nodded to him regardless and resumed her kitten form. Taking a deep breath Harry picked her up, grabbed Draco's hand, and followed the snake.

* * *

><p>"Harry, why are we here?" Draco asked, walking a bit closer to his mate then was strictly necessary. It wasn't as though he expected that they'd be attacked considering they were walking beside a 25 foot long snake that had proved several times that she had a short temper for anyone but Voldemort and Harry but he still didn't like how the Death Eaters were watching them. Leave it to Harry to not question why they were walking into the middle of the Dark Lord's lair.<p>

"**I'm not entirely sure,"** Harry admitted and refused to say more. Draco scowled at him, more then a little annoyed at being ignored, but remained quiet. It wouldn't do to show anything other then a united front after all. Lucius had beat that lesson into Draco's mind and he normally followed it without complaint. That didn't mean he didn't chafe. However, there was no more time to subtly complain as Nagini nudged a door open and led them in. She and Harry spoke for a short time before she slithered back out. When Draco looked at Harry the raven just shrugged. **"She said to wait here."**

'Here' was actually pretty comfortable. It was a somewhat large room with a bookcase full of books, a warm and cheery fire, and an overstuffed couch matched with an overstuffed chair. Harry happily fell into the couch, rubbing his back. The baby was big enough that his back was hurting all the time. The raven hummed happily when Draco sat beside him and started massaging his shoulders. Both mates knew that the blonde was aching to have sex with Harry again but they both also knew that he wasn't forgiven just yet. Harry was still skittish around his mate at times and was constantly on the alert for any pheromones. He wanted to trust Draco, he really did, but he couldn't. It was enough, to much, and to little that they were friends.

The door opened again, startling both teens to their feet. Draco could only stare in confusion when a middle aged man entered but Harry openly gaped as his scar told him who was standing before them. **"Hell no,"** he mouthed.

"Language Harry," the man chided, a smile tucked into his lips. "No need to swear. And you Mr. Malfoy, it is unseemly to openly stare." Malfoy wrenched his gaze away sharply, wondering who the man was, while Harry just glowered. The raven wanted to fly into a rage against his enemy but Snow's actions confused him. She was laying contentedly on the arm of the couch and watched the man as he moved to sit in the chair. Everything about the kitten told Harry there was nothing to fear so he slowly sat back down, gently tugging Draco to do the same. For long moments the three just stared at each other in silence before Snow sighed irritably.

"_Will one of you start talking or can we just go home?"_ she asked impatiently. Draco and the man jumped, not expecting her to talk, but Harry just nodded. He met the man's gaze squarely and glared.

"**You're Voldemort,"** he said simply. Draco tensed beside him, first in shock and then in worry. He honestly hadn't thought the man before them was the Dark Lord (wasn't he supposed to be bald and snake-like?) so his guard had been down which was a very stupid thing to do. Luckily, Voldemort just chuckled in faint amusement.

"Yes I am," he said mildly. "And you're mute. I wasn't sure if I should've believed Nagini when she reported that to me. Tell me, was she correct in her other reports? Obviously you are actually pregnant, congratulations Mr. Malfoy on that, but do you also have a tail?" Harry glared at the snake hard enough that she actually tried to curl up under the chair to escape him. Snow snickered as only a cat could at the snake's antics. Harry was many things but tolerant of spies (other than Snape) was not one of them.

"**It's true,"** Harry said, his movements adding a sharpness to his silent words. **"Although I fail to see why it matters so can we get to the point of this meeting? Nagini said that you may offer your help in revenge against Ronald Weasley."**

"Your Gryffindor bluntness is oddly refreshing," Voldemort mused, leaning back into the chair. "Alright, we'll talk business. Depending on the revenge you wish to enact on the boy I may be interested in helping. Do you have an idea of what you'd like to do?"

"**Kill him,"** Harry and Draco said at the same time. They didn't even glance at each other in surprise at the action. That simple fact made Voldemort smile if only slightly. Seemed they were past the awkward stage in the bond.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day," he said instead, shaking his head. "Not only is the Prince of Slytherin and the Gryffindor Golden Boy in agreement, said Gryffindor wants to murder his one time friend. I suppose pigs have grown wings and Fudge has become a competent minister then." That startled a snort of laughter from the raven. Fudge becoming competent wasn't a miracle; it was a sign of the apocalypse. "Still, it should be interesting enough to watch. How can I help?" The two teens glanced at each other before Harry nodded slightly. Together they slowly laid out the plans they'd been fantasizing about and after a few hours of discussion the three finally chose their plan of attack. It would take a few weeks to set up but Harry was willing to wait now that he knew just how long he had to wait. Before the meeting could end he looked into Voldemort's eyes, fire sparking in his own.

"**You are polite. You are helpful. You are supportive. You are not the Voldemort I know and hate. What happened?"** Voldemort sighed, leaning back into the comfort of the chair.

"There are many truths and lies about me," he said slowly. "It is true that I am a Dark Lord. It is true that I have dedicated my life to the Dark Arts. But I am not the one that killed your parents. I am not the one that hunted you. I am not the one who waged war against the wizarding world either time. That man is my teacher." When Harry and Draco just kept staring at him he sighed. "When I left Hogwarts I went into the world to learn the Dark Arts. After a year I found a teacher who was willing to teach me. I studied with him for six years but then things went sour. I was Dark, Harry, but I was not evil and I had no desire to become evil. My teacher was less then happy with me for that. He wanted me to overtake the world because it was his dream. However, he was old and incapable of fulfilling the dream so he thought I would do it for him. I refused of course. He was…less then pleased." Voldemort closed his eyes in pain. "He possessed me. It happened so smoothly and so completely I didn't even notice until the first time he used my body to kill someone. By then it was to late to fight him and I was forced to watch as he became a monster and I took the blame. In reality Harry, you saved me. When my teacher tried to kill you and you rebounded the curse it split us. My body became mine again though it took a few years for me to rise out of my coma and by then the damage to my name was to great to try and repair. So here I am, waiting for my revenge and attempting to keep ahead of a ministry that refuses to listen to me."

"**So what happened at the graveyard?"** Harry asked, his face giving away none of his thoughts. He might as well have been a statue for all Draco knew and the thought disturbed the blonde. Did he really know so little about his mate?

"The being who came back was my master," Voldemort said. "You must understand that I'm not saying everything you've went through and all the attacks you survived didn't happen. They did. I just wasn't the one to cause your suffering." The silence stretched uncomfortable until Harry nodded once.

"**I still don't trust you yet,"** he said slowly. **"Maybe I never will. But I do believe you so my quarrel with you is over."** The ghost of a smile spread over his face as he stood and offered his hand to Voldemort. **"I don't believe we've ever met before. I'm Harry Potter."**

"Lord Voldemort," Voldemort said, shaking the hand with a smile. "But my friends call me Tom."

* * *

><p>"I can't believe we just did that," Draco sighed as the portrait closed behind them. They'd finally gotten back to Hogwarts and they were both exhausted. Because of the lateness they'd decided to go to the Room of Requirement rather then risk going to their own dorms. Harry had been oddly quiet (well, relatively speaking) since they'd left Voldemort's lair. Nagini had promised to keep them up-to-date with the progression of the plan so all they had to do was wait but Draco didn't think Harry's mind was even vaguely on the plan or on Voldemort's revelation. However, what his mate was thinking about was not something Draco could figure out.<p>

A small hand rested on Draco's arm, making him turn. He blinked as Harry looked up at him, slightly nervous and shifting from foot to foot. He was about to ask what was wrong when Harry surged up and their lips met. In that instant Draco's knees almost buckled. Every last one of his Incubus instincts _screamed_ for him to use the pheromones and claim his mate again. For one terrifying second he was about to do just that but he yanked himself back and gently pushed Harry away. The look of devastation on the raven's face nearly killed him but he held firm. "I'm sorry," he said roughly, cursing his voice for not obeying him. "I didn't mean to influence you." The devastation changed to confusion and Harry cocked his head in a silent question. "I know you aren't ready to have sex with me again so I must of influenced you. I'm sorry, I've tried not to. I'll leave if you want." A look of understanding dawned on Harry's face and he smiled fondly.

"**You weren't influencing me,"** he said slowly, emphasizing every word even in the silence. **"I was a bit overwhelmed by what we've learned and needed to let it out. Actually, I should be the one apologizing for shocking you like that. And yet…"** his eyes softened and the smile turned tender, **"…and yet you held back. You care about me enough to pull back if there's even the slightest chance I'm not in my right mind. I think…I'm ready."** When Draco just stared in shock Harry rolled his eyes and leaned in for another kiss. **"Are you going make love to me or do I need to get out my dildo?"** he asked against the blonde's lips. His mate shivered once for a second before grabbing him in a possessive kiss.

If asked later, neither Incubus would be able to tell anyone specifics of that night. Clothes had went flying and then Harry was on his back, his legs spread wide as Draco thrust into him. They kissed and groaned and thrashed and cried. Sometimes Draco would pound hard and fast, owning his mate as his Incubus blood demanded. Sometimes he thrust slowly and languidly, relishing the feel of Harry, the boy he'd loved his whole life. And Harry? He as so caught up in the feelings, both emotional and physical, that he couldn't concentrate on just one sensation. He screamed his ecstasy when Draco bit his mating mark again, growling deeply and possessively. He cried in awe as he was gently filled again and again with love and tenderness. Thoughts flew about his head so fast he couldn't hold on to any but it didn't matter because he knew them all. And when it was finally over hours later he hooked his legs around his mate to prevent the blonde from pulling out and snuggled into his chest. There was no regret or guilt lurking in his mind and for the first time since his uncle had raped him Harry could honestly say that he was happy and content and safe. They were both asleep in moments but Harry still blanched when he heard his daughter's voice loud and clear in his mind.

"_Daddy gave me a headache!"_

* * *

><p><em>Babble time: I'm alive! Sort of…I've been dieing from a migraine the past couple days. Actually, I still have it so let's just get this over with.<em>

_Kayp22x: Aw, you're so sweet! Thank you!_

_Misa Misa: Yes, Harry still has a tail. I just haven't talked about it much. It wasn't supposed to come into play until after the baby is born which should be…soon? I'm planning on it anyway._

_Dela1: I've never liked Ron either._

_Nuriko Kurosaki: Oh good, I was afraid you were mad at me too. It wouldn't be the first time a reviewer was mad enough to try and hunt me down. Uh…it was a river, not a lake, but yeah, he made his decision and it was the right one. Yes, the girl was there and of course she wanted to save herself. Just bear with me a little longer on the Ron issue._

_Hp-slash-crazy: No you cannot push Ron off the cliff. His death will be much more satisfying._

_Jorine: O.O…you figured it out. Congrats! Yes, I got the river from Charon and the River Styx._

_YinKeket: You know, your reviews ramble enough that it should annoy me but it doesn't. I like how you just write what's on your mind. Keep it up my friend!_

_BloodyRose90: __Yes, the little girl is Harry's daughter and yes, Ron will die. Lol, I tell that line to everyone who says bitch and they always get this strange look on their face. It's fun. Don't worry about not being articulate. I'm not either most of the time._

_And that's all I have to say. I wish you all a good week because me spring break just started and I'm really happy and feel generous._

_Thanks for reading! TTFN!_


	9. Fashionably early

"_McGonagall funny. Dean snores loud. Seamus wanking again. Hermione glare scary. I'm bored mommy."_ Groaning, Harry let his head hit the desk with a muffled thud. Ever since the baby had made her first telepathic connection two nights before she'd been talking up a storm. Yes, Harry was proud of her obvious intelligence. She knew all of his friends by name and could feel what everyone near him was doing. Sometimes her voice was full of playfulness, sometimes it was tired, sometimes it was angry, she had even mastered teasing. However, one thing she hadn't learned was when to be quiet. Harry couldn't focus on Professor McGonagall's lesson at all. Not that it really mattered since he couldn't really do anything during the lesson but it still annoyed him.

"Baby talking again?" Draco asked quietly, regarding Harry with worry. He'd been shocked when Harry had told him about the baby's telepathic ability since most Incubi babies weren't telepathic until they were about five years old but he was very proud. That pride was still there but now he was worried as the baby hadn't given Harry much rest.

Harry nodded to his worried mate, to tired to pretend to talk. He didn't want the blonde to worry about him even though he was touched by how much his mate obviously cared. Most of the time he thought that the blonde was cute and sweet with his obvious love of him but on occasion it just annoyed the hell out of the raven. This was one of those times. When Draco threw him yet another worried glance Harry snapped and slammed the book he'd been pretending on reading down. Ignoring McGonagall's irate shouts he stormed out of the classroom and started running.

The steady rhythm of his pounding feet lulled Harry into a sort of trance. He had conscious decision in where he was going because he wasn't having any sort of conscious thoughts at all. All he cared was that he was running and it felt so good. He'd never been fond of running away but running as a form of energy or just enjoyment was one of his favorite activities. He could still see Hermione's look of incredulous shock when he told her that he would sometimes sneak out of the dorms at night just to run along the grounds. Out of worry for the baby he hadn't been running much but now that he was again the pleasure rushed through him.

But as always, the pleasure faded and Harry slowed down. He glanced around curiously and realized that he was somewhere in the Forbidden Forest. Not somewhere he normally would have chosen to go but when he ran he didn't much care where he ended up.

"_Forest cold. Creatures hunting. I'm scared mommy."_

'Don't be scared,' Harry tried to soothe, rubbing his stomach. 'The creatures won't bother me.' There were definite perks to being a friend of Hagrid. Most of the Forest creatures knew him at least well enough to know they couldn't attack him. Being an Incubi helped a lot as well.

As quiet and welcome as the Forest was Harry knew he should head back to the castle. No doubt people were worried about him by then. Besides, his body felt a bit off and he was starting to feel abdominal cramps. They were light and seemed to come and go so he wasn't worried but Madame Pomfrey should still be told.

"_Mommy look out!"_ Harry ducked just as a bolt of green magic flew over his head and struck a tree. Without thinking he whirled around and fired a stunner at the Death Eater standing behind him. Before that opponent hit the ground their partner shot _Sectumsempra_ and managed to catch Harry on the thigh before he could drop them. The whole attack maybe lasted five seconds but it was long enough for Harry to become aware that something was very wrong. His baby was an Incubus; she wouldn't be afraid of common magical creatures so she couldn't have been referring to them. The 'creatures hunting' must have meant Death Eaters which she saw as less than human. And there was only one reason Death Eaters would be in the Forbidden Forest and that was if they were attacking Hogwarts.

Another cramp came, making Harry wince even as his thigh twinged. The cramps were starting to come faster. Hurriedly the raven took off his robe and tore it into strips to bind his wound with. He knew he needed medical attention but he had to get to Hogwarts first and he was finally able to hear the explosions and yelling that proved the attack had already begun. True to his luck Harry was injured and stuck in the middle of Forest alone while Hogwarts was being attacked. _"Uh…mommy, we have a problem,"_ the baby said as a very sudden wetness suddenly flowed down Harry's leg.

Correction. True to his luck Harry was injured and stuck in the middle of the Forest alone while Hogwarts was being attacked and he was giving birth three weeks early.

Gasping, Harry's knees nearly buckled as a very large cramp, or rather contraction, ripped through him. 'Couldn't you have waited three more weeks baby girl?' he asked silently, stumbling to lean on a tree nearby. The contraction passed after a few more moments but Harry remained tense. How the hell was he supposed to give birth alone, let alone in the Forest? He vaguely recalled some witch at the school boasting that her mom had given birth to her alone in their house. The only part of the story Harry could distinctly remember was that the witch had proceeded to say that she was confused as to why her mother refused to have any more children after that.

First things first. Harry had to find a safe spot to give birth because he apparently had no choice in _if_ he was going to give birth that day. After what felt like hours of stumbling around in pain he finally found a cave just big enough for him to fit in. It happened to be close to a river so the raven first gathered as much moss and pond fronds as he could, remembering a video Hermione had made him watch about giving birth in adverse locations. If this didn't count as an adverse location Harry would eat his wand. Anyway, point was that Harry remembered he would have to have a lot of padding on the ground for the baby to fall into because he would have to give birth while squatting. Not exactly how he'd planned to bring his little girl into the world but he couldn't be picky just then.

Screaming silent curses at his uncle and Draco Harry finally managed to gather enough fluffy material including what was left of his robe to make a nest type structure for the baby. He waited for another contraction to pass before undoing his wound dressing long enough to remove his trousers and then rewrapped the wound. The Forest started echoing with sounds of battle, making Harry breathe fast and hard but he tried to control his panic so it wouldn't overcome him. He tried to regulate his breathing as the contractions came closer and closer together and distantly wondered how dilated he was. Surely he would know when he should start pushing but what if he didn't? He didn't exactly have an overabundance of female instincts or knowledge. What if he didn't feel any different when he was fully dilated? What if he waited to long and it caused problems and-

"_Push now mommy."_ Well, that was one way to know. When the next contraction came Harry squatted over the nest and pushed. The pain ripped through him, ripping a silent scream from his throat. For the first time he was thankful for his muteness, knowing that screaming would give away his position to enemies. He knew he could make noise when he screamed (he'd done it a couple times in the past) but normally they were not screams of pain although why the type of scream would make a difference he wasn't sure. Considering it was one of the few things keeping him safe he wasn't inclined to question it just then.

The hours ticked by as Harry drifted on a haze of pain. He pushed with the contractions and tried to breathe between them. Sometimes the sound of the battle were loud and sometimes he couldn't hear anything at all. Whenever he thought he couldn't go on his baby would give him encouragement. Still, when Harry finally felt the body of the baby slide out of him he couldn't help a sob of relief as he collapsed onto his side. A few seconds later he scrambled up when he realized she wasn't screaming like a newborn was supposed to do. Fear filled him for a moment until he saw her bright eyes meeting his and understood. She was smart enough to know that screaming would draw their enemies.

She was tiny of course, having been born three weeks early but she was still perfect. Her white hair was stained with blood and fluid but it still covered her head in a thick mess that Harry thought would resemble his own when washed and dried. She gazed at him with deep emerald eyes that weren't quite as bright as his own but much deeper. The part that made Harry smirk was when he noticed the small white fox tail she had. Silence stretched between them when the baby suddenly smiled.

"_Mommy pretty,"_ she said before closing her eyes to sleep. Harry wanted to do the same but he could tell the battle was over at last so he wearily redressed before gathering the baby in his bloody robes and started limping back to the castle.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean you don't know where Harry is?" Draco screamed, ready to rip Dumbledore's head from his body. The attack had ended an hour ago and no one knew where Harry was. Sirius and Remus were searching the grounds, not wasting their time by arguing with the old coot but since no student was allowed out of the castle Draco had no other choice.<p>

"Please calm yourself Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore said but his mouth slammed shut when Draco roared at him. The air around the young Incubus began to shimmer as his rage grew but before he could actually murder the Headmaster something distracted him. For a moment he froze, shock written across his face, before he suddenly bolted to the Entrance Hall. His foot had barely hit the ground when the doors burst open and a very tired and very bloody Harry Potter limped in. Draco instantly caught his mate before he could collapse and continued running straight to the medical wing.

"Elssa!" he screamed as he burst in, knowing that Madame Pomfrey was down on the grounds treating the wounded while the elder witch ran the medical wing. Said witch only had to glance at him before she quickly gestured towards an empty bed and raced off to grab some potions. Despite his previous haste Draco slowly lowered Harry onto the bed and sat beside him. His mate's eyes were closed but when he started raking his hand through the matted black locks those beloved emerald eyes opened tiredly. Seeing who was touching him Harry smiled weakly, struggling to stay awake.

"Go to sleep Harry," Draco crooned, inwardly wincing. Seemed his Incubus blood was going to destroy every last ounce of his Ice Prince reputation. "I'll be right here when you wake up." Harry nodded tiredly before suddenly moving. Draco watched in confusion as Harry started to unwrap the robes he was holding, wondering what his mate was doing. All thoughts flew out of his mind when a baby was revealed. His baby. Shocked silver eyes stared for a second before darting up to meet the silent laughter of his mate.

"**Are you going to say hello?"** Harry asked, moving so that Draco could take the baby. The blonde did so carefully, half afraid that if he breathed to hard he would shatter the delicate looking life. He knew his jaw dropped when he realized that he was holding a little girl. Her face scrunched up as the transfer woke her until she finally blinked her eyes open and they stared at each other. For the longest time Draco forgot how to breathe but then the baby smiled.

"_Daddy pretty too."_ Draco inhaled sharply at the words before suddenly holding the baby close to his chest. Lucius had told him that nothing compared to the first time his child would speak to him telepathically and let their minds brush but he'd always thought his father had been exaggerating. Now he knew he wasn't. The feelings that swept through him were different from the feelings of the first time Harry had willing had sex with him but no less intense and humbling.

"Hello little one," he murmured into his daughter's hair, not noticing or caring that he was getting blood and birthing fluid all over himself. "Welcome to the world." The babe hummed in contentment before closing her eyes to finish her nap. When Draco glanced up at Harry he saw that the raven was smiling tenderly at the two of them. After settling the baby closer to his chest he finally managed to free a hand and used it to hold his mate's hand. So many thoughts swept through his mind but one stood out above all others. "What are we going to name her?"

"**Something to do with a fox,"** Harry said with a tired smirk. **"After all, she got my tail."** Startled again, Draco looked down and saw that, yes, the baby had a small fox tail. The sight made him laugh lightly even as a small part of his mind plotted Vernon's demise.

"Alright, something to do with a fox. Vixen?" He snorted at the look Harry gave him. "I'll take that as a no. How about Vulpes? It's Latin for fox." Harry still didn't look convinced but at least he considered that one. "There's also Kitsune which is Japanese, Sionnach which is Irish, Renard which is French, Lis which is-" He cut off with a laugh when Harry hit him. The raven watched his daughter for a few more moments before smiling and telling Draco what the name should be.

A few minutes later Draco left the medical wing, confidant that Harry was safe in Elssa's care. He hadn't particularly wanted to leave but Harry had reminded him that there were a lot of people who should meet their daughter. With a flick of his wand he sent off his patronus, not having to think to hard to find a happy memory. After a couple minutes people started reaching the room he'd chosen, an abandoned class room that used to be used by the astronomy class when it was cloudy. The sky twinkled with the enchanted stars as the last guest arrived and closed the door.

"Is something wrong?" Hermione asked, wondering why the blonde was standing so still and calm while Harry was still missing.

"No, everything is great," Draco said with a smile, shifting his precious bundle. "Harry's back and in the medical wing right now but before anyone goes dashing off," several people slowly resumed the seats they'd just vacated at the announcement, "there is something I must say. As you all know, Harry has decided that Remus is to be our baby's godfather while Sirius is their great godfather. Hermione, you are the godmother. Mother, father, you of course are to be the baby's grandparents and you, Petunia, we want as a surrogate grandmother. Uncle Sev, I chose you to be the second godfather with Aunt Andromeda as the second godmother. And of course, all of the Weasley's minus Ron can fill any role they wish."

"Can we please get to the point?" Sirius whined, wanting to get to his godson's side. Besides, they all knew all this already, having been told weeks ago. Draco just smiled mysteriously before finally letting the robe fall away from the bundle.

"I want you all to meet Kitsune Vulpes Potter-Malfoy," he said with a bright smile. For a few seconds everything was still and then the room exploded in noise and movement. Everyone alternated between asking how she had been born to exclaiming over how beautiful she was. The noise woke Kitsune and she scowled at everyone before blatantly turning and trying to snuggle into her father's chest. That just made everyone coo all the louder and Draco distinctly heard her grumble about annoying family who wouldn't let her sleep. He chuckled silently and reminded her that she was going to be stuck with them for a long time before contentedly leaning back and letting the praise wash over him. Eventually he knew someone would remember that Harry was in the medical wing and they'd all troop up there to see him and offer their congratulations. After a few minutes he'd chase everyone out and lay Kitsune with her mother so he could watch the two of them sleep before eventually drifting off and joining them. He wasn't sure how much his life would change because of this day but he was ready for it. He had his mate, his child, and soon the shadow of the Dark Lord would be swept away so that they could live in peace. Yes, it was only a dream, but the child in his arms proved that dreams could and did come true. All he had to do was keep believing in them.

* * *

><p><em>Babble time: OMG! This chapter did NOT want to be written! I haven't had this much trouble with a chapter for a very long time. Damn chapter. Damn baby while I'm at it. You weren't supposed to show up yet! (grumbles darkly to herself) It's possessed I tell you. This laptop is possessed.<em>

_Jumeirah: Lol, Draco didn't know any better._

_Aiyobi Uzumaki: I'm glad you like the ending so much. Seem everyone does._

_BloodyRose90: I have no idea who Tom's teacher is. The story hasn't told me yet. Bloody story. But yeah, you can call him Mouldy but not Voldy. Tom is still Voldemort, he just isn't insane, psychotic, murdering Voldemort. He's more the cool, calm, collected, devious Voldemort. I'm glad you liked the last line. It was a lot of fun to put in._

_Left in the Cold: Thanks!_

_Adreniline-Junky: You must like the word pounding. Glad it made you laugh all the same._

_Well, I'm now officially sleep deprived over this story so I leave you all now. Maybe if I can die until ten tomorrow I can be convinced to write the next chapter then instead of later. (Yes, I write each chapter the day I post it.) I doubt I'll sleep in that long but I can hope._

_Thanks for reading! TTFN!_


	10. Changes

Harry knew things would change once he'd given birth but he honestly had not expected what had happened. He had thought he may receive his own room but he hadn't thought that he, Draco, Kitsune, Hermione, the elder Malfoys, Petunia, Severus, Sirius, and Remus would be given an entire castle _wing_. But maybe he should back up and explain a couple things first. It all started with Ron the morning after Kitsune was born…

* * *

><p>"You mean she didn't wake even once?" Hermione asked, watching as Kitsune played with her applesauce. "I've never heard of a newborn sleeping through the night."<p>

"You obviously haven't studied Incubus babies that well then," Draco said smugly, wincing as his daughter smeared food all over her face. "They always sleep through the night. In fact, they're probably the least fussy babies you'll ever meet."

"**Thank Merlin for that,"** Harry chuckled silently, cleaning Kitsune's face. He wasn't sure if he would be able to function with a fussy baby. Already he had teachers questioning how he was going to keep up with all his schoolwork and still raise a baby. The only up side to the whole thing was that he wasn't going to be raising her alone.

"Hey Cub!" Sirius called, plopping onto the bench beside his godson. "How's the little one? Can I hold her?" Kitsune giggled and reached for the animagi. She seemed to find him amusing and liked it when he held her. So it wasn't difficult for Harry to hand her off. He watched the two for a moment, giggling when Kitsune managed to grab Sirius' hair and give it a tug. When the school year had started he had been sure that he would never have a family because of what his uncle had done. Yet here he was with a mate and child that loved him and an extended family that would never abandon him.

Breakfast was drawing to a close so Harry rose to go to his first class. He knew Sirius wouldn't mind watching Kit for the day (he actually thought the man would kill anyone who tried to take her away). He was just about to say goodbye to his baby when her eyes suddenly snapped to his, wide in panic. She didn't have time to cry out before pure agony shot through his back. Darkness swam before his eyes but he managed not to collapse. Instead he held on to the table, hearing the people around him screaming. For one insane second he wondered if it was a Death Eater attack but he discounted the thought when he noticed his scar wasn't burning. That left only one enemy. Ron.

The curse finally lifted, leaving Harry gasping for breath. Someone was holding him up, asking frantically if he was alright, while the ocean roared in his ears. No, not the ocean, it was Draco. Draco was roaring and screaming for someone to let him go so he cold attack Ron. All around there was chaos as people screamed and ran about, making it very difficult for Harry to focus on anything. Then a very tiny hand rested on his and his eyes finally focused on Kitsune's worried face. They stared at each other for a few seconds before he managed a shaky grin. **"I'm alright Kit,"** he mouthed, hoping she was smart enough to understand. It seemed she was because she gave him a look of disbelief but nodded slowly. It wasn't enough but it gave Harry enough strength to force himself up straight and to turn around.

As expected, Ron stood nearby with at least seven wands leveled at him and an ugly sneer on his face. Draco stood nearby, still roaring, while Snape held him back as Remus struggled to hold Sirius still. Narcissa and Lucius stood nearby, wands drawn and their faces tight in anger but to controlled to show their fury. Everyone else was trying to vacate the area as fast as possible except for Dumbledore who was wading into the mess and heading straight towards Harry. "Now Harry, please remain calm," he said soothingly. "I assure you this won't happen again. There's no need-"

"_**Shut. Up."**_ Everyone in the Hall froze as the voice reverberated through the stones themselves. The Malfoys alone knew what was happening and they stared at Harry in shock. A gentle breeze picked up and started brushing aside his bangs as his eyes slowly faded from emerald green to a deep ruby red. His mouth parted slightly to make room for his elongated fangs. The air along his back shimmered like heat waves, showing how dangerously close his wings (that weren't supposed to exist for at least a year) were to appearing.

"Harry," Dumbledore said again, trying to avoid disaster. "You really do need to-"

"_**SHUT! UP!"**_ the voice roared and there was no doubt that the voice was coming from Harry even though it wasn't truly verbal. _**"Just shut the hell up! I'm tired of this, Dumbledore! Twice this thing has attacked me and still you do nothing for the simple reason that I am a Dark creature. I have been patient. I have been obedient. I have maintained a misguided hope the eventually you would grant me justice. But you stand there and instead try to protect the attacker from the victim! According to Incubus law which is the only law I need to obey I am no longer to be held accountable for my actions."**_ Before anyone could react Harry spun on his heel and let loose a bolt of power that struck Ron straight in the chest. For a split second the redhead screamed in agony before disappearing. Silence fell over the gathering as Harry gently picked up Kitsune and stalked out of the Great Hall.

"Harry! Wait up!" The raven slowed just slightly, allowing Draco to catch up with him. He didn't fight when the blonde put an arm around his shoulder but leaned into him slightly. His rage was fading and he was starting to realize just how much power he had used judging by how much he was shaking. It was a miracle that he was still walking but he couldn't stop. He couldn't stay at Hogwarts anymore knowing that no one outside of his family would protect him. So he just kept walking in silence, letting Draco hold him.

* * *

><p>"Something wrong love?" Draco asked, tugging Harry against his chest. The raven smiled and shook his head, allowing his mate to hold him. He had been a lot quieter recently, not 'talking' as much as he used to. Hermione said it was good because it proved that he was accepting his muteness and no longer fighting it. Harry would just look at her like she was crazy and that conversation would end. He actually had no clue why he preferred to be silent now. Kitsune was the only one who seemed capable of drawing him out of his shell to talk. Even Draco struggled in that regard.<p>

"Lord Malfoy?" The two teens glanced over to see one of the servants at the door, smiling gently at them. "The council is getting impatient."

"They're always impatient," Draco muttered sullenly. The servant just shrugged, making Draco sigh. He let his lips graze over Harry's temple and breathed, "I'll be back as soon as I can." Harry just nodded and playfully kicked his mate out of the room.

Alone again, the raven sunk onto the large bed and closed his eyes. So much had changed since he'd finally gotten rid of Ron. All he'd thought about was leaving Hogwarts, not where he was going after that. Not that he was complaining.

* * *

><p>"Harry Potter I assume." The two teens whirled around, Draco instantly moving to stand between his mate and the unknown while Harry curled around Kitsune to shield her. Even when they realized the words had come from an Incubus they remained defensive. At least, they did until he smiled and raised his hands in surrender. "Forgive me for startling you. It wasn't my intention. I am Thantos, Speaker for the Incubi council." Draco suddenly relaxed and slid out of his stance. He caught Harry's disbelieving look and smiled slightly.<p>

"It's alright," he soothed his mate, still keeping an eye on Thantos. "The Speaker of the council is like an ambasador. He speaks for and represents the council in situations where they can't actually be there." Harry nodded slightly but still watched the Incubus warily. It wasn't until Kitsune giggled happily that he began to relax. Thantos spotted the baby and his smile turned soft.

"Congratulations on the birth of your child Lord Malfoy," he said with a slight bow. Draco inclined his head in response, knowing the praise was not faked. Children were almost sacred among Incubi and the birth of one was a momentus event that normally resulted in week long celebrations. His parents had been griping since Kitsune's birth that because she was early the plans for her celebration weren't ready yet. But even his pride in his daughter couldn't distract the blonde.

"I doubt you came all this way to congratulate us," he said, his voice between defensive and polite. "A letter of congratulations would have sufficed for the council. There's no need for them to seen their Speaker."

"True enough," Thantos said with a slight shrug. "In truth the council sent me because of the complaints The High Lord Malfoy and his mate have been sending about a Ronald Weasley. Unfortunately, the council has been receiving numerous complaints from Incubi living on Earth. Most are superficial complaints from spoiled people so the council, regrettably, did not take yours seriously." The Incubi looked sheepish as he shifted from foot to foot. "In fact, they didn't even listen to the complaints. I was sent to tell your parents to leave the council alone." Draco bristled at the insult to his family but Harry's gentle hand held him back from making any scathing remark about it.

"**What changed?"** Harry asked, making sure that the Speaker was looking at him before speaking. Thantos' eyes narrowed when he realized that the raven was mute but he still nodded.

"I witnessed the attack," he said, anger finally creeping into his voice. "If you had not taken your own revenge I would have killed the human for daring to attack one of our people. As it was I was planning on how to kill that man you called Dumbledore when you left." A smile flit across the corner of his mouth, making Harry smile darkly in return. "We are creatures of temptation but I've never felt such temptation to kill without permission then I did just then. How you managed to hold back from killing the boy is something I will never know." Harry's smile turned darker and his eyes flashed but he remained quiet.

"So what now?" Draco asked. "Will the council finally act?"

"I cannot say," Thantos said with a reluctant shrug. "Now I know the complaints are valid but the council does not yet. What I can offer is a place for you to stay. It's obvious you can't remain here and the council clearly owes you." Personally Draco agreed but he still glanced at Harry, wondering how the raven would take it. For a moment everything was still but eventually Harry nodded. Thantos visibly relaxed, making Draco chuckle quietly. It was nice to know he wasn't the only one who found his mate intimidating.

"Well then, is there anyone you want to bring with you?" the Incubi asked pleasantly. All it took was a glance from Harry and Draco knew everyone he wanted.

"Our family," he said, tugging Harry into his arms so he could hold him, despite the raven's mutinous mutterings. "My parents, Harry's godfather and aunt, Kitsune's godparents excluding Aunt Andromeda. I doubt she'd appreciate being taken from her family." Thantos nodded with a smile. No Incubus would question bringing family with them.

"Very well, I will send someone for them immediately," he told them. "However, first I think I'll take you to the castle now. There's no telling who or what is in these woods recently." Harry nodded reluctantly, already feeling like creatures were watching him. It wasn't a feeling he liked. However, when Thantos offered his hand the raven shook his head and held closer to his mate. Draco just chuckled and kissed Harry's temple before taking Thantos' hand himself. With a whisper and a wrenching sensation they were gone.

* * *

><p>Harry had nearly fainted when he realized how big the castle that they were going to was. He'd thought Hogwarts was big but this castle made Hogwarts seem like a peasents house. Thantos mentioned something about the castle only having about five thousand servants which he seemed to think wasn't that many. So it was no surprise that he thought Harry's reaction was a bit strange as well. Luckily Draco was there to distract them both. Well, more like he distracted Thantos as Kitsune decided it was a good time to demand her mother's attention by yanking on his hair. So while Harry tried to convince her to release his locks Draco quickly explained the way Harry had been raised so that Thantos wouldn't accidently take offence. The Speaker said nothing although his eyes tightened in anger when he heard how the muggles had treated the raven. But other then that little upset their transition to the castle had gone smoothly. In a matter of hours the entire family was present and left exclaiming over the wing they were given. (Or in Harry's case, silently screaming.) The council had apologized profusely for ignoring their complaints and were making reperations on levels that Harry could hardly fathom. (He didn't <em>think<em> he and his family needed to be paid 2 million galleons a year per person but the council had looked at him funny when he'd argued.)

"_Mommy?"_ Sighing, Harry got up and went to pick up his daughter. She'd also been oddly quiet since their move although she certainly didn't act like it around her father. Harry has accused her of hiding things from them already but she had just given him one of her baby looks.

The snow was blowing outside, turning the world white. Harry knew that Christmas would be on them in a few short weeks and wondered if they were honestly going to have it in an Incubi castle. The Incubi were awesome, don't get him wrong, but they weren't exactly Christmas enthusiasts. At least, those who even knew what the holiday weren't.

Kitsune sighed quietly and laid her head over Harry's heart. Her eyes were wide and wet but she refused to look up at him. It didn't matter as Harry carded his hand through her already wild locks. 'You know, don't you?' he asked her silently, smiling sadly. She just nodded, nuzzling closer to him.

Harry had discovered a few days ago that the attack from the Death Eaters had done more damage then he'd thought. It was such a subtle spell it was a miracle he'd discovered it at all. Once he had he of course tried to find a way to reverse it but there was none. Every source he'd questioned told him that it was an incurable curse and that it always ended the same way.

"_Mommy?"_ Harry smiled down at Kitsune, allowing the tears to shine in his eyes. Her own tears were near overflowing as she looked at him but she held them in through pure strength of will. He knew that she would grow into a strong person who would challenge the world simply because she could and maybe because no one else would. She'd be a Slytherin for sure although she'd probably give the Gryffindor's a run for their money in the stuborness and bravery categories.

But this wasn't the time to think such sad thoughts. The sun would be going down soon and Harry didn't know when Draco would return so it was up to him to put Kit down to sleep. He started humming a tune he vaguely remembered, his mind singing the words so that she would hear.

**So long old friend**

**I wish that I could see you once again**

**I never knew**

**The time would come when I'd be losing you**

**I hope you know I never meant to treat you badly**

**And now I know just what a friend like you is for**

**I never thought that it would end so sadly**

**And you'd be walking through**

**That door**

**So long old friend**

**I wish that I could see you once again**

**I never knew**

**The time would come when I'd be losing you**

**I always thought our fun and game would just go on and on**

**I never knew I'd have to say**

**So long**

Kitsune eventually allowed herself to be soothed to sleep even as tears escaped her closed eyes. With minimal fuss Harry put her on the bed before laying down beside her. Even in sleep she shifted until her head was near his heart before finally stilling. It was only now that she couldn't see him that he let his tears fall.

How was he supposed to tell everyone that he was dieing?

* * *

><p><em>Babble time: …yep, it changed again. God damn it! I can't keep this story straight anymore. And look over there, you see that? (points to big white rabbit that is currently running away into the distance) That, my dear readers, is the plot bunny for this story. It's vanishing and I can't seem to catch it so this story may end very soon and very abruptly. So let's see what happens, shall we?<em>

_Janet1982: I'm glad you like it._

_Nuriko Kurosaki: I'm glad you liked my explanation for Voldemort but I can't exactly take credit for it. It was all the story. Although I'm not quite sure what you're talking about in regards to the attack. As for the placenta and umbilical cord I have an answer for you. The answer is: I was to lazy to care so I blame it all on magic._

_BloodyRose90: It was a very fun opening, I'll say that for sure. And yes, props to Harry._

_RRW: Lol, I'm not so sure about scars but she'll definitely get back at him._

_Alright, so this may be goodbye. I hope not but at least I'm warning instead of just ending, right?_

_Thanks for reading. TTFN!_


	11. Christmas Memories

Chuckling to himself, Sirius skipped down the hall, bags swinging from his arms. He'd finally finished his Christmas shopping and was ready to sit down and start wrapping. So what if it was Christmas Eve and he only had five hours before everything was supposed to be under the tree. He was nothing if not a master procrastinator and it had taken years for him to earn that title.

"You're happier than normal today," Remus noted as the abnormally large child flounced into their room. He noted the large grin on his friend's face and couldn't help but smile back. "You finally finished shopping then? You're losing your touch old man. Used to be you'd finish with only an hour to wrap."

"True, true," Sirius admitted with a grin, dropping his bags near the couch so he could skip over to the closet and get the wrapping paper. "But this year is different, no? After all, this year our little Prongslet is a mother so I had a whole new avenue of gifts to find him not to mention gifts for the radiant Kitsune."

"Don't stroke her ego to much," the werewolf chuckled, returning to the book he'd been reading. "Don't forget she is half Malfoy. If we stroke her ego up we'll never get it down again." Sirius winced at the mental image and nodded. However, even the thought of an egotistical Kitsune didn't stop him from humming as he set out all of his supplies and started wrapping. Remus smothered a smile when he realized that Sirius' wrapping had its own motus operendi. Any gift to Hermione, Kitsune, or Draco was done in a perfectionist way as if he wanted them to receive only the best presents. Everyone else got the sloppy, tacky wrapping that he was known for. But then Remus noticed something odd and frowned. "Sirius, where is Harry's present?"

"I didn't buy him one," the animagi said, struggling with figuring out just how to wrap a giant stuffed lion for Kitsune.

"Oh? You're giving him something you already have?" Remus couldn't remember Sirius mentioning any item that he wanted to give Harry that year but with everything that happened the thought wasn't that odd.

"Not that either," Sirius grunted, fighting with the lion. Maybe he shouldn't have bought her such a big toy. "I'm not giving Harry anything for Christmas this year." He could feel the instant Remus understood him because it suddenly felt like his blood had turned to ice.

"Explain." The words were quiet but colder and sharper then anything even Malfoy could produce. Gulping, Sirius slowly edged away from the enraged werewolf and fumbled with his trunk until he could open it and pull out a large box.

"Harry's getting this," he said, slowly offering the box to Moony. For a second he thought the werewolf would rip his head off but then he got a whiff of the box and his eyes widened even as they dimmed.

"James?" he asked, recognizing the scent. "Lily?"

"Yeah," Sirius said, risking sitting down again, even as he held the box close. "James and Lily left me this box with strict instructions that I should give it to Harry for them the first Christmas he spends as a parent. I was sort of worried that any gift I gave him would distract him from this so I decided to wait a week or two before I gave him any other presents." The amber finally faded out of Remus' eyes and he smiled sadly.

"That makes sense," he rasped, overwhelmed by the mere _scent_ of his two lost friends. "What's in there?"

"Harry's baby blanket," Sirius said with his own sad smile. "Remember? The one I made him for his first Christmas with the werewolf, stag, and Grimm running around on it? I always wondered why the rat didn't stick. Cubby is in there too. I still can't believe that Harry picked out a toy snake, let alone named it Cubby. A few picture albums, James and Lily's wedding rings, pretty much every single knick-knack that had sentimental value, keys to the special vaults in Gringotts that I'm not supposed to know about, and a bunch of other things they thought he'd want. But I think most important is the two letters they wrote him."

"Memories," Remus summed up with a depth of understanding that most others didn't have. "Just incase they couldn't be here they gave him memories." Sirius lightly swept his hand along the top of the box and nodded, his throat to tight to say anything. After a few minutes of struggling he managed a watery grin as he looked up at his last best friend.

"I don't think Harry was the only one to receive a gift of memories," he whispered. Remus just nodded, to overcome to say anything. They sat like that for a long time, each reflecting on the memories they'd shared with James and Lily. Sometimes one would chuckle or sniffle without warning but the other never rebuked them for it. Some memories were golden and made them feel like they could smile even in the face of Dementors. Some memories cut them so deeply they wondered why they weren't bleeding. But each memory was treasured because it was all they had left and it was what their friends had chosen to give them.

"You realize you now have two hours to finish wrapping," Remus croaked. He promptly choked on his swallowed laugh as Sirius yelped and started franticly wrapping. Maybe the presents wouldn't be quite so perfectly wrapped this year.

* * *

><p>"There," Hermione said, wiping her forehead and then scowling when she realized that she'd just smeared the flour even more. "I think that's enough for this batch. What do you think Petunia?"<p>

"Looks good," the older woman said, glancing at the finished cut out cookies. She'd always thought that magic was impractical but when the teen had discovered a spell created specifically for cutting out perfect cookies she'd changed her mind. Magic may have made people lazy but it wasn't exactly impractical. "Let's get them on the tray and start baking them." Hermione nodded shortly and started levitating the cut out cookies onto the sheet, not looking at the muggle. Petunia had noticed the teen was tense and quiet around her but wasn't sure how to broach the question. Perhaps bluntness was best. "You don't like me, do you?"

"No," Hermione said shortly, flicking a look of irritation at the older woman before looking away again. Seemed bluntness worked both ways. Petunia waited but it became obvious that the young witch wasn't going to volunteer any more information.

"May I ask why?" she asked, feeling irritation creep into her voice. She didn't like being disregarded. However, she stepped back hurriedly when Hermione spun on her.

"You dare ask?" Hermione whispered, her voice cold and deadly. "I was there each year when Harry came to Hogwarts. The first year he knew nothing of kindness or friendship and was so tiny I felt like he was my kid brother even though he's my age. The second year I was regaled with stories about bars on his window and a cat door that he received food from. Third year it was about nutritional neglect and being worked near to death. Fourth, I had to cram nutrition potions down his throat just to keep him alive. Fifth and sixth he always had at least three broken bones and so much bruising I couldn't tell what color his skin was if it wasn't for his face and hands. Now we get to seventh year and I find him _raped_ and _attacked_ so viciously that even magic couldn't heal him correctly. I know most of it's not your fault but please forgive me if I am angry at someone who _knew_ and _saw_ that my best friend was being slowly killed and did _nothing to stop it_!"

The kitchen rang with the last shout as Hermione's chest heaved and her face was flushed. She'd tried, for Harry's sake, to get along with his aunt when she saw how much Harry relied on her. She wouldn't say the two loved each other as family should but she could see that they depended on each other. However, she was at her limits. Petunia acted as though she'd never done Harry wrong and couldn't understand why those close to the raven were angry at her. It was so wrong and conceited that Hermione had been wanting to scream for a long time. Now that she had she waited to see what pitiful response the woman would give her.

"You're right of course," Petunia said with a bitter smile, turning back to the turkey she was stuffing, ignoring Hermione's openly hanging jaw. "Harry said you normally were right about everything. I'm glad actually. I knew the term 'easily forgiving' but Harry took it to an extreme I didn't think existed. I was ready to beg for his forgiveness for years and then work every day after he finally forgave me to make up for every bad thing my husband, son, and I had done to him. Instead all it took was an explanation and a sincere apology." She shook her head fondly. "He certainly took me by surprise but if the stories I've heard about his adventures are true he surprises a lot of people all the time. Hermione, I want you to promise me something."

"What?" the teen asked, still dumbstruck.

"Never forgive me," Petunia said calmly, wiping her hands clean. "Never let me forget how much I hurt Harry or I may do it again by accident. Everyone has been so determined to make Harry happy that they forgive me by default and I'm worried that eventually I'll slip up. I know I won't if I know that someone is watching me and just waiting for a chance to chew my ass." Hermione nodded silently before returning to her task with the cookie. Only once they were in the oven did she turn to Petunia and ask why they were making such an unorthodox Christmas dinner.

"The first time I made this dinner I was eight," Petunia chuckled. "It was the year before Lily got her Hogwarts letter and we'd managed to talk our parents into letting us make the dinner. Of course, being kids we didn't know how to make half of the traditional foods. So we made what we could and improvised the rest. The only thing we let our parents cook was the turkey but we certainly put our hearts into the mac-and-cheese and the sandwich's and the scrambled eggs. Lily made some oddly shaped pancakes and my buttered toast was burnt but we had so much fun. It was a special memory and one I've only copied once before. Seven years ago with a raven haired boy I made the same dinner with his help and didn't care when my husband complained because on that one night the boy smiled at me and I found myself smiling back."

Hermione nodded slowly and realized that she'd already broken her promise. She'd forgiven Petunia but no one had to know that so she just turned away and focused on the pancake recipe.

* * *

><p>"What are we going to do about Dumbledore?" Lucius mused, twirling an ornament in the air absently. "We can't let this slight to our family go unpunished."<p>

"Funny," Narcissa teased, deftly taking the ornament from him and placing it on the tree. "I distinctly remember a very loud screaming fit you had when you learned that "Saint Harry Blood Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived-To-Make-Your-Life-Miserable" was to be part of our family." Lucius glared at her but there was no heat so she wasn't worried.

"Must you remind me of that?" her mate grumbled, picking up another ornament to play with. "I've admitted my mistake already. Potter is a good mate for Draco, even if I don't approve of how much he made my son suffer." He knew he's said something wrong when Narcissa pinned him with her deluxe glare that she normally reserved for Bellatrix.

"I think he made Draco suffer just enough considering our son raped him," she said icily, making Lucius wince sharply. He and his mate loved each other now but he knew that in some ways he would never be forgiven for what he had done to her. Neither would his son, if Potter was as stubborn and hurt as Narcissa had been.

The two fell into silence as Narcissa continued to steal ornaments from Lucius and place them on the tree. At the Manor the decorating of the tree had always been left to the house elves but Harry had nearly thrown a fit when they'd told him that. Decorating the tree with family was part of the wonder of Christmas, he'd told them, gesturing wildly the whole time. Narcissa had agreed to do it his way just to calm him but discovered that he was right in a way. She'd never really cared about Christmas before but decorating the tree in the main hall where they'd all decided to spend Christmas the next day gave her a sense of excitement. Maybe it was a tradition they could continue at the Manor from now on.

"Remember this one?" Startled, Narcissa turned to see Lucius holding a small globe ornament. Enchanted snow fell inside it as miniature statues of the two of them danced inside. Smiling tenderly, she took the ornament from him and watched.

"Your parents made this for us," she said softly, surprised at how much emotion the ornament could summon. "They knew we were less then happy with each other and wanted to give us a special memory. I don't think I've seen this since they gave it to us though."

"Nor have I," Lucius admitted, gazing at her tenderly. "I gave the house elves to hang it on the tree every year but I've never actually looked for it. Truthfully, I'd forgotten about it."

"Me too," she whispered before hanging it lightly on a branch. A few minutes passed in silence when she suddenly laughed lightly. When her mate gave her a questioning glance she held up the ornament she'd discovered, making him chuckle.

"Draco's booty," he said fondly, taking the shoe from his wife. "He was so angry when we told him that he didn't have an ornament on the tree. How old was he then? One?"

"Not even," she said, smiling softly. "It was his first Christmas. He was only seven months old. But he did throw quite a fit, didn't he?"

"Yes he did," Lucius chuckled. "He got so frustrated he took off his booty and threw it into the tree and screeched every time we tried to take it down. Then he proceeded to tell the house elves that it was his ornament and they were to treat it as such. I'll never know how those elves understood his baby babble." Still chuckling he looped the laces of the booty and hung it on the tree. They were about half way through the box when Lucius found another ornament that made him smile.

"You never were good at knitting," he teased, taking out the misshapen mitten. Narcissa glared at him but her eyes were sparking with laughter so he couldn't take her seriously. "I forget, who did you knit this for?"

"For my first grandchild," she said primly, even as her eyes danced. She knew what her mate would say before he even opened his mouth.

"I don't think burnt orange and bile green will look good on Kitsune," he said with a straight face but he laughed when she threw a sprig of mistletoe at him. For a moment that only the two of them knew of they acted like young teenagers again and waged a silent war of throwing soft and fluffy things at each other. Narcissa finally cheered in victory when her quickly conjured beanbag flew into Lucius' mouth and effectively gagged him. By that time there were feathers flying and the room was in chaos but they were both to busy laughing to care. It took many minutes for them to regain enough control to caste a quick cleaning charm.

"I think it's done," Narcissa said proudly, regarding the tree that had remained untouched during their little war.

"Not quite," Lucius said softly, taking a final ornament out of his pocket. He'd been working on it since Kitsune's birth and was happy to have finished in time. When she saw the ornament Narcissa smiled softly, allowing all her masks to fall away.

"It's their turn to make memories, isn't it?" she asked no one, watching the ornament twirl and reflect the light from the fire. The golden lion merely blinked at her before laying down his head, gently nudging the emerald snake to the side while the fox bound around the both of them.

* * *

><p>"Harry?" Draco called, entering the room. He'd been looking for his mate for the past hour but hadn't managed to find him. Kitsune was asleep in their quarters and normally Harry would be napping nearby but this time he wasn't. The blonde had searched through every single room in the wing and found Remus reading a book, Sirius being strangled by wrapping paper and a big fluffy lion, Petunia and Hermione fighting over who got to make the mac-and-cheese, and his parents having a pillow fight. All interesting in their own way and Draco normally would have stopped to figure out what the hell was going on but Harry was still missing so he kept moving. Now he was in the last room, a miniature indoor garden. "Harry?" he called again.<p>

An acorn hit his head, making him yelp and spin around. Harry was perched in the tree above him, smiling down at him. "What was that for?" Draco whined, rubbing his head. His mate just kept smiling and leaned back against the tree. "Are you coming down?" The raven shook his head. "Don't tell me you expect me to climb up there to you." A nod this time. "Harry…" An arched brow. "You're not talking to me, are you?" This time Harry's face grew sad and Draco bit his tongue. An awkward silence fell until the blonde finally sighed and swung up into the tree. They shuffled a bit until they were comfortable with Draco leaning against the tree and Harry in his arms. Instantly Draco understood why Harry had chosen that spot. One entire wall was made of glass and they were able to watch the snow fall.

Harry shifted, catching Draco's attention. The blonde blinked when the raven offered him a folded piece of parchment. "What's this?" he asked curiously, taking the parchment. Harry just smiled shyly and nodded to it. Getting the idea, Draco leaned back and opened the parchment to read. However, the first four words made his jaw drop.

Dear Mom and Dad,

Another year has gone by but the pain of your absence is still as sharp as ever. I have lost count of all the times I wish I could hear your voices and feel your hugs. But those are feelings that will never fade and there is so much else to tell you this year. I'll skip over the more unpleasant parts and focus on the things that make me happy.

I have a mate now. Are you sitting down dad? I hope so. It's Draco Malfoy. Dad fainted, didn't he mom? Oh well, I'll tell you instead. Draco is an Incubus. Do you know much about them? I'll assume not. They seem to be pretty private creatures. We had some rough spots in the beginning but it's all been worked out. I really do love him mom. He's sweet and wonderful and kind and protective and he'll probably deny all of that. I really think you both would like him if only because he makes me smile.

Guess what. You're grandparents now! Draco and I had a child a few weeks ago. Her name is Kitsune Vulpes Potter-Malfoy. She's really sweet and really smart and a natural telepath. I really love her and I can tell she loves me. She tells me that often enough. Her hair is white but her eyes are just like ours mom. Their so bright and vibrant. I think they'd shame any emerald I could compare them to.

Well, I guess I should go ahead and tell you the bad stuff. Uncle Vernon raped me the day before my birthday. He caused a lot of damage and the magic I received for my magical inheritance couldn't heal me properly. I'm mute now and I have a womb and a fox tail (please don't ask). You know, I used to hate the changes, thinking they were curses, but I think I'm getting used to it. Really, it's not so bad. If it wasn't for the womb I wouldn't have Kitsune. The muteness has taught how to listen more and how to communicate without words. And the tail…well, I guess it's alright. It makes Kit smile and Draco likes to play with it.

The letter went on for a few pages, telling his parents everything major that had happened that year. Sometimes Draco chuckled and sometimes he blushed. He shuddered when Harry mused about how his father would have treated the blonde. But eventually he came to the end and tears finally filled his eyes.

No matter how many years go by I will never miss you any less. My only regret about being immortal is that I won't ever see you again. But it's not so bad cause I know I'll be with the rest of my family. I love you both so much but I can no longer say that you have my whole heart.

With MOST of my heart and love,

Harry Potter

There were so many things Draco wanted to say but when he looked into the Harry's eyes all the words died. Instead he just sighed and shifted his arms to hold his mate closer. They sat together and watched the snow fall in silence. Peace wrapped around them and Draco realized just what Harry meant about muteness teaching him to listen. When there were no words to speak the air wasn't empty like he'd thought it would be. It was filled with feelings and emotions that words alone could not capture. This, he thought, is what memories are truly made out of.

* * *

><p>The lights and fires were out, leaving the castle dark. Everyone was asleep and the castle was silent. So there was no reason why Kitsune should wake up but she did anyway. She glanced around curiously, trying to figure out what had woken her, when the door opened. Instantly she smiled as her grandmother stepped in quietly, trying not to disturb her parents.<p>

"Hello Kit," she whispered, picking the baby up out of the crib. "Do you want to see the tree?" Kitsune gurgled happily and nodded. Both were quiet as she was carried out of her parent's room and down the hall. The baby's eyes in wonder when they reached the main hall and saw the tree. Her sharp eyes took in the fairy lights and star dust that wrapped around the tree while the ornaments hung easily among the branches. She barely glanced at the presents under the tree and instead reached out for the lion/snake/fox ornament. A deep chuckle made her head turn and she smiled at her grandfather.

"She is pretty smart, isn't she?" he said, taking Kitsune from her grandmother and propping her on his hip. "I say she got it from Harry."

"Be nice dear," her grandmother chided with a smile. "I'm sure Draco is pretty smart in his own right. She could have gotten it from him." Kitsune giggled as her grandfather stuck his tongue out at his wife before smiling at her.

"We're going to pretend we didn't hear that, right?" he said with a wink. Kitsune laughed when her grandmother smacked him over the head.

"Don't go about corrupting the baby," she scolded even as her eyes danced. "Besides, we can't stay here much longer. Let's put the presents under the tree and then put her back to bed." Grandfather grumbled good naturedly but he still smiled and helped Grandmother put the presents under the tree. Then he got to put Kitsune back in the crib after arguing that Grandmother had been the one to pick her up. Back in the crib Kit giggled when she saw her Grandfather make faces at her daddy before joining her Grandmother at the door. They both waved at her and she smiled back at them.

"_Goodnight grandma Lily. Goodnight grandpa James. Merry Christmas."_

"Merry Christmas Kitsune," they whispered back, smiling even as they faded away. With a quiet sigh Kitsune held onto the pendant Lily had given her and fell back asleep.

* * *

><p><em>Babble time: Alright, maybe, just maybe, my muse is coming back. Who knows? On to the reviews!<em>

_Doxiesmom14: I said he was dieing, not that he was going to die so I haven't decided to kill him off yet._

_BloodyRose90: Yes, that would be appropriate. Whether I listen or not is another matter._

_Thanks for reading! TTFN!_


	12. Fighting Back

'No, no, no!' Harry snarled mentally, throwing another book away from him. Rage thrummed through his veins, making a couple nearby Incubi glance at him nervously. Eventually he knew Draco would appear to soothe him but Fates damnit, he didn't _want_ to be soothed. He wanted to roar and slay and maim and destroy and these really weren't the best thought to have when Kitsune was giving him that confused look.

"_Mommy angry?"_ she asked curiously. Before Harry could answer Snow flicked the her irritably with her tail.

"_Of course Harry's angry,"_ the kitten said sarcastically. _"He's normally to afraid to harm a book like that with Hermione nearby."_

'Will you two stop talking like I can't hear you?' Harry snapped, glaring at them both. Any normal baby would have cowered under the glare but Kit just gazed back, unaffected, and Snow…well, Harry had given up predicting how Snow would react to anything. 'Come to think of it, where have you been the last month?' He hadn't really questioned Snow's disappearance or her reappearance. Maybe she reminded him enough of a cat that he expected her to be aloof and independent.

"_Never you mind,"_ Snow said with a huff before rolling over to resume her nap. The raven glared at her a moment more before turning back to the stack of books before him and sighing. Ever since Boxing Day he'd been digging through old books, trying to find a cure of the curse that was killing him. He wasn't sure if it was the box of memories his parents had given him through Sirius that inspired that determination or the mysterious pendants that everyone had gotten that he_ knew_ his parents had given them. Maybe it was both. The point was that it had rekindled his desire to live and he intended to use it.

Now if he could just find a bloody cure! The curse was mentioned many times in the more ancient texts but they all said the same thing. The curse was silent, painless, slow, and always lethal. No Healing magic had ever worked, no potion had ever slowed the progression, even the Incubi blood he now had would not protect him. No matter which direction he looked there was no hope for him.

Again the temptation to tell someone else, have someone help him bear his burden, rose up and again he ruthlessly murdered it. Kitsune and Snow were the only ones who knew and while the latter helped where she could the former could only share in his frustrations. Harry didn't think he could live with the fear, sadness, and pity what would be in everyone's eyes if anyone else were to know. He'd survived his entire life by appearing strong, even when he wasn't. It was a tactic that never failed him and he wasn't going to allow it to fail now.

"Harry?" The raven smiled as his mate walked over and acted like nothing was wrong. He knew Draco wouldn't believe him (the blonde had dropped some not so subtle hints about that) but he was allowed some secrets in this relationship. "You've been in here since breakfast and lunch was an hour ago. Come on, you need a break." Harry opened his mouth to argue but Snow quickly jumped over and swatted his head, cutting his argument short. He glared at the kitten until Draco chuckled. "She's finally on my side," the blonde snickered, smiling when Harry's glare transferred to him. "Come on Harry, if both your mate and your guardian think that you need a break then its probably not some big conspiracy to get you relax but rather something you actually need."

Damn him for making sense. Damn Snow and Kitsune while he was at it for not standing up for him. They both just watched, clearly saying with their eyes that they agreed with Draco. So with a frustrated sigh the raven nodded and picked up Kitsune before allowing Draco do drag him away.

He'd thought they would go to their rooms to relax but instead Draco led him out to one of the many gardens. It still amused Harry that sex demons had such an amazing love for gardening. He had yet to find a single room in the castle that didn't have at least one living plant in it and there were always Incubi and Succubi working in the outdoor gardens. However, this one was empty as Draco led him to a giant elm tree. Some of the roots were raised and the blonde had managed to find a set that made a natural seating area which they settled into. Kit wiggled irritably until Harry let her go and she crawled off to explore the garden, Snow following behind with an air of long suffering. She now trusted Draco to protect her Bonded but wasn't sure she liked being a babysitter.

"You don't talk anymore." Startled, Harry turned to stare at Draco but the blonde was staring at the distant fountain. "I know you've been mute for months but you would still move your lips so we could understand your words. Sometimes when you scolded me I could still hear your voice ringing in my head as I remembered all the times you'd scolded me before. I was sad that I couldn't hear you anymore but I could still know what you were thinking. Now you almost never talk. You smile and frown and laugh and glare but your mouth stays still. I don't know what you're thinking anymore because you don't tell me."

Harry lay a hand on Draco's shoulder but after a moment he realized just how true the words were. He wanted to comfort his mate but he had no desire to say anything. It was a strange feeling and one he had to ponder before he could answer. However there were three words that he could say and they were three words that he would never get tired of saying. So he gently grabbed Draco's face and turned him so that they were looking at each other.

"**I love you,"** he said with a smile. He knew his eyes were shining with the feeling of love and that Draco would have no problem seeing it. Still, it was many long moments before Draco finally smiled back and relaxed.

"I love you too," he said quietly, leaning forward to give the raven a chaste kiss. "I just wish you wouldn't hide things from me. When you don't talk to me I feel like that's what you're doing." Harry shook his head, again noticing that no words came with the actions. Maybe this was more serious then he'd thought. But then the answer to the question began to well within him and he knew what to say. He cradled Draco's face and made sure that their eyes were connected but that the blonde could still see his lips.

"**I'm always talking to you,"** he said slowly, feeling his lips form the words. **"When I reach out to hold your hand I'm saying that I'm glad you're with me. When I fall into your arms at night I'm saying that I trust you to catch me. When I smile at you from across the room I'm saying that I love you so much that distance doesn't matter. Everything I do is telling you my words. I just finally trust that words are no longer needed for us. And this,"** he leaned forward and kissed Draco, pouring all his feelings into the kiss before pulling back, **"tells you that out of everyone in this whole world I love and have chosen you."**

Draco opened his mouth to say something but then understanding flared in his eyes and he closed it with a smile. He deliberately moved to hold Harry's hand and kissed it lightly before turning to look at the fountain again, a content smile on his face. Harry heard the message loud and clear and smiled, leaning against Draco's chest.

The hours passed in perfect silence between the couple and Harry was glad for it. It seemed like his life existed in a bubble of silence since the rape and he was happy to just enjoy it for a change instead of resenting it. A peace that he hadn't felt for the longest time crept up on him and before he knew it he felt himself wake up cradled against Draco's chest. He could feel the softness around them and knew he'd been carried back to their bed. With a sigh he was about to snuggle closer to his mate's warmth but something stopped him. A band across his chest suddenly tightened, making him choke lightly. For a moment he couldn't breath and he seriously doubted that his heart was beating. But then the moment passed and he was fine again.

Instantly he started muttering darkly and silently about the curse. The attack hadn't actually been that bad, startling him a bit but not to much, but he knew they'd get worse as time went on. He wasn't sure how much time he had left as none of the books he'd read could give a discernable timeline. The fear that at an second he could suddenly die raged through him and he swung out of bed. Draco slept on, oblivious to when Harry left the room.

The raven jogged back to the main library and entered silently. He'd learned early on that nothing in the castle ever closed and there would always be at least a couple servants to help him. Luckily he had gotten to know the night library servants and they knew not to bother him. He waved at them as he passed and they acknowledged him but no one moved to follow him. With the ease of long practice he gathered the books he hadn't studied yet and found his favorite seat next to the window that apparently was behind a waterfall. The constantly moving water soothed him and he easily fell into his studies. The words took so much of his concentration that he didn't notice someone approach until they spoke.

"_Mortis spiritis_? Why are you looking up that old spell?" Startled, Harry turned around to see a young woman standing beside him. She was about his height with spiky silver hair and bright blue eyes. She wasn't dressed like any of the Succubi he had seen wandering the castle but he struggled to think of what else she could be. "Are you planning to use it on an enemy?" Harry started when he realized she was looking him in the eye and had asked a question. His mind scrambled for an answer and then froze when his body chose to answer on its own with a shrug.

"Oh, so you're just curious," she said with a smile, moving to stand in front of him instead of beside. "Well, it's certainly an interesting spell. Do you know what it means?" He shook his head. "Death's breath. Sort of corny, right? Although accurate I guess. It effects the air in your lungs so that they starve but your heart is constricted because of it and bursts. Pretty nasty. Good for revenge since it's so subtle. Just make sure you don't cast any major cutting curse at your victim after casting it." That made Harry perk up, his nose nearly quivering as he smelled a clue. She must have seen his increased attention because she smiled and nodded, pulling a book out of the bag around her shoulders. "Yeah, it's the strangest thing. Apparently any major cutting spell cancels out the curse. I read all about it in this book. Of course, it doesn't really matter since any cutting spell major enough to cancel the cure will also kill the victim. You just waste less energy if you just cast one and not the other." Harry nodded distractedly, not noticing her smile and move away. And he sure as hell didn't notice the cat tail that swayed behind her or the purring laugh she tried to muffle.

* * *

><p>"Harry?" The raven glance up as Hermione sat across from him, a serious look on her face. "What did you do to Ron?" Those six words had a profound effect on the rest of the room as everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to stare. Harry clenched his teeth irritably but knew he wasn't going to get out of answering.<p>

"**I didn't kill him if that's what you're asking,"** he said slowly, each silent word somehow ringing harshly in their minds. Draco frowned at him, suddenly wondering how he was supposed to find the redhead and get revenge. Come to think of it, Lucius had the same expression. So did Narcissa…and Sirius…and Remus…and…everyone actually had that look. **"My spell transformed him into a very large and very ugly spider and sent him to the Burrow."** Everyone's jaws dropped, making Harry want to howl in laughter. If only they could see their faces. **"I'm sure Mrs. Weasley has already killed him so he's not a problem anymore."** Silence fell for a moment before Hermione suddenly shook her head.

"It's times like this that I remember that you are a Dark creature," she said but there was no accusation in her voice. It was more like she was gently scolding herself for forgetting. "You realize that this has made you a permanent enemy of the Weasley family, right?"

"**Not at all,"** Harry said with a shrug. **"The twins have already written me, saying that they would be pissed off at me if I didn't kill Ronald. Apparently they have an issue with any family member that gets away with cursing someone else, let alone someone they're fond of. Bill and Charlie have also said that they support whatever punishment I decided to give Ron. Only Percy is still silent and, honestly, I don't give a shit about him."**

The silence following his announcement was suddenly broken by Kitsune's giggles. The sound was so out of place that they all glanced over quickly to see Snow irritably trying to stay ahead of the determined baby that was crawling after her and trying to grab her tail. Harry had to snort at the look of restrained frustration on Snow's face as she dodged another swipe. He knew she wouldn't actually attack Kit out of respect to him but she certainly didn't like being treated like a toy.

'Kitsune, leave Snow alone,' he scolded mentally. Kit instantly stopped and turned toward him, a look of confusion on her face. Snow took the opportunity to jump onto some shelving where she perched, safe from baby hands. She threw Harry a look of thanks before settling down to groom her ruffled fur.

"You are so weird with that bloody cat," Draco muttered, ignoring the hiss from said cat, and smiled down at his mate. "That was a good revenge love. I'm sure Tom would approve." Harry smiled back before his eyes suddenly shot open and he stood with a silent yell.

Tom! He'd forgotten all about Tom! No one had thought to tell the Dark Lord that they were leaving for the Incubi realm because Hogwarts got unbearable. Sweet Merlin, he was going to kill Harry for real for this one. In a mad hurry Harry rushed to his room and quickly wrote out a letter, trying to explain everything before sending it off with Hedwig. He then proceeded to pace the room nervously, ignoring Draco's confused looks whenever the blonde passed by. It was only a few hours later that Hedwig returned bearing a letter for him. Taking a deep breath Harry opened the letter and started reading.

Harry Potter,

You had better keep your ass in the Incubi realm because if I see you any time in the next week I will murder you myself. Do you have any idea how terrified everyone has been over your disappearance? I don't care about Dumbledore or my teacher panicking but Fates damnit, I just became friends with you. Don't you dare make me lose you so soon.

Putting all of that aside, the wizarding world truly is in uproar over your disappearance. Everyone is predicting doomsday and the end of the world. Well, everyone except my teacher who is convinced you're hiding somewhere and training to battle him. Not a bad idea actually. Maybe the Incubi can actually succeed in teaching you nonverbal magic. You are studying with them…aren't you? …I get the distinct feeling you just shook your head no. (Harry blushed because he had just done that.) Well, get on it immediately. My teacher is getting impatient. No doubt he will push for the Final Battle soon.

Your owl is growing impatient so I'll end the letter here. Do keep in contact this time Harry. I'd really rather not have to come all the way to the Incubi realm just to smack you.

In frustrated fondness,

Tom Riddle

Well, the letter wasn't quite as severe as Harry had thought it would be. Tom was right of course, he should be training since he was in the realm already. Perhaps it was some obscure Incubi power that was the 'power the Dark Lord knows not'. No way to know except to try.

Another twinge around his chest made Harry stop short and clench his teeth. The damn curse was going to make his life interesting for a while, that was for sure. The lady had been right; the only way to counter it was with a major cutting charm. However, he had hope that he could modify one of those cutting charms so that it was still severe enough to cancel the curse but wouldn't kill him.

Sighing, Harry spared a second to rake his hands through his hair before squaring his shoulders. He had work to do and he didn't have time to waste. So with a final regretful glance at the bed he probably wouldn't see for a while he left the room and headed to the library.

* * *

><p><em>Babble time: Urgh. Goddamn story is trying to kill me.<em>

_Moonlight phonex101: I'm glad you thought so. That was the feeling I was trying to capture._

_Confused:…uh, it was sort of a rhetorical question. Like when you do something and then wonder why you did it. I didn't say that Harry asked it verbally. It could be mental._

_Snowbaby921: I'm glad you like the story! Lol, I'm sure there were a lot of people who wanted to strangle Draco and I was among them. Hope you keep reading!_

_Thanks for reading! TTFN!_


	13. Revenge

"You're serious, aren't you?" Harry managed a small smile for Draco before returning to his packing. They'd had this discussion several times already and he was tired of mouthing the same words over and over. Besides, Draco was finally starting to understand what his actions were saying rather then depending on the silent words. Hopefully he was hearing him now. If not…well then they'd have the argument again. "I just don't understand Harry. Why do you have to go back to Hogwarts?" The raven rolled his eyes, knowing Draco wouldn't notice. He'd only explained it ten times.

"_Leave him be Blondie,"_ Snow sighed from her position on the pillows. She'd been watching Harry the whole time he'd packed, giving him her silent disapproval of his plan but also let him know that she would support him. It meant much more to Harry then he'd thought it would. _"His plan is distasteful but not dangerous so just let him do it. The more you try to stop him the more determined he is to disregard you."_ That earned the kitten a glare but she just blinked back. Harry had gotten good at glaring since his Incubi blood became dominant but there was no creature in the world that could compare the a cat's glare.

"Seems we agree again," the blonde muttered irritably. He so hated agreeing with the sartix because she always gave him this smug look…and there it was. It looked like she was a canary who trapped a cat! "Still Harry, please reconsider. How the hell am I to tell Kit that her mother is leaving for an unknown amount of time and she just has to sit a bare it?" That drew a glare from the raven and made Draco wince. He'd known using Kit was a low blow but damnit, how else was he going to get his mate to listen to him? "Why can't one of us go to Hogwarts for you? If you would just tell us what you're looking for-"

"**Stop it!" **Harry finally snapped, his patience running out. **"I'm the one going and you can't stop me. Now leave me alone!"** Even in the silence his words rang with his anger. However, the fire instantly died in his eyes when he saw Draco's expression. **"Draco…I'm sorry, I just-"**

"Forget it," Draco said quietly, turning his face away. "Just forget it. You want to go that bad? Fine. You don't trust me to help you? Fine. Come back whenever you decide that we're actually worthy of your time." Before Harry could argue the blonde had spun around and stalked out of the room. Silence fell for a moment before the raven sighed and slumped where he stood.

"_I'm not going to say you didn't deserve that,"_ Snow said, watching her Bonded. She knew his mission was important but she also thought he could of handled it differently. For probably the first time she found herself in agreement with Draco's thoughts and that knowledge made her want to clean herself viciously.

'I know I deserved that,' Harry said silently, turning to finish his packing. 'I just hope that someday he'll understand.' Snow gave him a look of pure venom that made him wince. 'Actually, I hope all of you will understand someday.'

"_It would help if you told them the real reason you're leaving,"_ she said sarcastically before curling up to finish her nap. Harry stared at her helplessly for a moment before shaking his head and packing his last book. With hardly a thought he shrunk the pack and slipped it in his pocket before quickly pulling his cloak on. He knew it was going to be cold where he was going and he wasn't about to stand around in the rain when he didn't have to. He also made sure that the stupid potion Snape had helped him brew was working by making different noises. Satisfied that everything was as it should be he nodded firmly and held an arm out to Snow. For a moment she coolly regarded him and he was afraid that she would refuse to come. But the moment passed and she jumped over, quickly tucking herself under his cloak. With a final glance at the door, wishing that Draco would come back to see him off, Harry apparated away.

He appeared with a crack in the middle of the street and, just as he'd thought, it was pouring. Snow muttered mutinously against the wet but otherwise remained still. Personally Harry agreed with her so he quickly finished crossing the street and loped to the house he wanted. There weren't any lights on, signaling the occupants weren't there, so the raven quickly withdrew the key from its hidden spot in the nearby flower bed, and unlocked the door before entering. The contrast from the loud and wet outside to the dry and silent inside made him pause. His eyes flitted about nervously, not entirely sure what he was doing there, but staying resolutely. If he was ever going to get over what was done to him he had to stand firm.

"_This place is disgusting,"_ Snow said with disdain, glaring out from her place on his shoulder. _"Have these muggles never heard of cleaning?"_

'I was the one to do the cleaning,' he told her silently, slowly walked down the hall. He resolutely ignored the cupboard under the stairs and entered the living room. 'Besides, I don't see any trash.'

"_Not all trash is visible,"_ the sartix said. It was then that Harry noticed she was shaking. _"This is probably a bad time to tell you but sarti are psychometrics. We can absorb the memories of objects around us and see what has happened around them."_ She shuddered again, stronger this time. _"I now know more about your past then you would ever want anyone to know."_ Harry stiffened and for a second he considered sending her out again. However, that was counterproductive for what he wanted which was a supporter. Besides, he had never actually hidden the abuse from his friends after he'd forgiven Petunia. It wasn't utterly devastating if someone knew.

'Just make sure you never mention it,' he told her before sitting on one of the sofas. He glanced at the clock above the mantel and nodded; he shouldn't have to wait to long. Indeed, it was only a few minutes later that he heard a car pull into the driveway. Even from where he sat he could hear the car door slam and those fat legs scurry to the door. The jingle of keys sounded as the person struggled with the doorknob, not even testing to see that Harry had left it unlocked. Finally the person stumbled in and Harry could hear their harsh breathing. He remained still and silent as the person stomped down the entrance hall and entered the main living area. However, he knew that he had not been seen as the man merely went to the kitchen and started rooting through the fridge. Time to make himself known.

"Hello Uncle," he said, wincing inwardly at the raspy sound of his voice. Snape had told him the potion would give him back his speech ability but only for five hours and it only worked once. The raven had debated for hours over what to do with the potion and had desperately wanted to use it to talk to Draco and Kit. But this moment when he would finally get his revenge finally won out.

The choice was not waste. Vernon froze before slowly straightening and staring at the raven on the couch. Harry had carefully arranged himself so that he was draped over the sofa and appeared relaxed. He wasn't of course but only Snow could tell. "I've been waiting for you. How have you been?"

"Y-y-you!" Vernon stuttered, stumbling away and letting the bottle of beer in his hand crash to the floor. "How are you still alive? I killed you."

"Come now Uncle, don't answer a question with a question," Harry chided, leaning forward. He could feel his fangs wanting to lengthen and was struggling to hold them back. "I asked how you've been. After all, I haven't seen you for many months." At this point he tilted his head, deciding to play his part for all its worth. "Besides, it's obvious you haven't killed me. After all, there's no such thing as ghosts." The full body shudder that received was everything Harry had hoped it would be. Seemed his uncle did believe in ghosts after all.

"What do you want?" Vernon cried, finally backing himself against the wall. His fear was so thick Harry wanted to plug his nose from the stench. Snow apparently agree because she slithered out of the cloak and leapt from Harry's shoulder, landing as a fully grown tiger. She growled harshly at the cowering muggle, making him soil himself, before turning around and flopping at Harry's feet. The raven could almost feel her dismiss Vernon as a creature so insignificant she couldn't be paid to worry about him.

"I think you know what I want," Harry said, slowly rising to his feet. Snow shuffled away slightly so he could walk unhindered and watched him with gleeful blue eyes. She hadn't approved of his plan because of the danger it entailed to himself but this revenge was almost worth it. "You raped me Uncle. Raped me and left me for dead. If Aunt Petunia hadn't found me I would have died and no doubt you would have just dumped my body in some land fill. But she did find me and I live. In fact, I owe you. Because of what you did and the unpredictable form of magic," he gleefully absorbed Vernon's near apoplexy at the mere word, "I have received great things. A mate who loves me eternally for one. A child for another." Yes, that was the look he wanted. The sheer disbelief and horror that was shining from his uncle's eyes. However, soon all that lived in those eyes was terror as Harry finally let his control break and his new true form rippled into existence.

"But what I gained doesn't outweigh what you did to me," Harry growled, dropping all pretense at playfulness. "Nothing anyone can ever do can negate what you did to me. So I'm here in for payment. Tell me Uncle, do you know what Incubi are?" The man whimpered, trying to merge into the wall. "Ah, I see you do. Well it just so happens that my mate is an Incubus and through him I've met quite a few that I now consider my friends. They've been getting rather…bored recently so I decided to give them a new toy." In less time then it took to blink Harry surged forward and pinned Vernon with a clawed hand and shoved his face in as close as he could so that the muggle could see the literal fire in his eyes. "By the time they're through with you what you did to me will seem like a declaration of true love. When they tire of you they will kill you but I don't know when that will be. Maybe they never will. Maybe you will live for the rest of eternity being raped by demons. But no matter how long you're there remember what you did to me because after tonight I will never think of it again."

"Master Harry?" Harry turned to see Reginald, one of his Incubi friends, standing in wait. With a careless flick of his wrist he tossed Vernon to the Incubus.

"He's all yours," he said simply. Reginald smiled evilly before vanishing with Vernon in tow. Silence fell over the house again as Harry was left alone. For a long moment he thought he would collapse but with desperation he reached out and caught the strength that kept him standing long enough to make it back to the couch. There he sat for long moments, his head in his hands, while Snow waited patiently. They both knew it was dangerous to tarry as Tom's teacher was still hunting for him. So after a few moments Harry stood and turned to leave the house forever.

A whimper stopped him cold. For a moment he stood deathly still, Snow copying him, but then the whimper came again. Carefully Harry turned and made his way up the stairs, resuming his human form as he did. On the top floor he traced the whimpers to the master bedroom and carefully opened the door.

What he saw made his hand drop lifelessly. Dudley was stretched across the bed, painfully thin (Harry had never thought that word could be applied to Dudley) and covered in wounds. From the looks of his wrists Harry was willing to bet he'd been chained to the bed for some time. Perhaps worse though was the obvious abuse to his ass. In one terrible, horrible second Harry processed all of this and came to one conclusion.

Vernon had raped his own son.

"Harry?" The sound snapped Harry out of his shock and he realized that Dudley was looking at him through the wide open door. Before he could move Dudley broke into sobs and he was striding across the room to take the broken boy in his arms. His magic disintegrated all of the chains used to keep Dudley contained and he drew his cousin into his lap, horrified to realize that he was capable of it because Dudley was so light and thin. After a few minutes of making crooning noises he finally managed to sort through the babble of what Dudley was saying. "I knew you'd come," he said over and over, sobbing into Harry's chest. "I knew you'd come, I knew you'd come, I knew you'd come."

'I didn't come for you,' Harry wanted to say aloud. 'I didn't even know about this. I didn't come for you.'

"Of course I did," he finally said, not having the heart to break the trust. "Of course I came for you."

"I'm so sorry," Dudley sobbed, clinging to Harry with what the raven thought was the last of his strength. "I'm so sorry for everything! For all the times I punched you and pushed you and called you a freak and got you in trouble and-" Harry just let him prattle on, carefully running his hand through the dirty hair. He spied Snow at the door in her kitten form and she gave him a sad look. She didn't even need to speak for him to understand. Dudley wasn't going to make it.

Harry sat there for hours, holding Dudley and trying to comfort him. He still had about an hour of speech left when he realized that his cousin had been silent for several minutes. When he pulled back he noticed that Dudley wasn't breathing and was already growing cold. For just a brief moment he closed his eyes and allowed his grief to overwhelm him. He and Dudley had never been friends but he hadn't wanted this to happen.

"_Fate is strange and fickle,"_ Snow said as Harry carried Dudley back to his own room and lay him on his bed. _"Sometimes she brings the sweetness of victory and sometimes the bitterness of defeat. But its never forever and she will bring kindness to those who fall to her cruelness."_

"I won't even pretend to understand what you just said," Harry told her dully.

"_It wasn't for you to understand. It was for you to find comfort in. It is the words and thoughts that bring comfort. Not reality."_ That was certainly true enough and Harry managed to find the strength to smile at her before she crawled back into his cloak and he left the dead, silent house for the final time.

* * *

><p>The castle was dark and asleep when Harry finally reappeared. He dropped his clock in the hall, knowing that some servant would take care of it, and slipped into the room he shared with Draco. For a moment he stood and stared at his the sight his mate made curled around their daughter who had apparently decided not to sleep in the crib tonight. A smile tugged at his lips even as the tears stung his eyes and he kneeled beside the bed, taking care to not wake either occupant.<p>

"I wonder if either of you will ever know how much I love you," he said quietly, wanting to say all the words he'd been feeling for the past few months. "I love it when Kitsune smiles at me, trying to pretend she's innocent. I love it when Draco holds me without feeling the need to talk. I love it when you both snuggle with me, covering me in love. I love watching you both and seeing how much you love each other. I love how even then you both still make sure I'm nearby before you relax. I love that you're my family." He kept talking for the rest of time and even when his voice faded away again he kept talking. He knew tears were tracking down his face but he paid them no mind. The words just kept spilling from his lips before exhaustion finally claimed him and he slumped on the floor, asleep.

Shaking her head, Snow quickly checked to make sure the two in the bed were asleep before shifting to her humanoid form. She carefully picked up her Bonded and lay him on the nearby couch, knowing he wouldn't sleep with Draco so long as they were arguing. Harry settled on the couch with a little snuffle, making her smile. It was times like this when she realized just how cute he was.

"He really does love you, you know," she said quietly, glancing at the two on the bed. "I just wish you could see it as clearly as I can. Harry would die for either of you. I just hope he doesn't have to." There was no answer of course so she resumed her kitten form and curled up next to Harry's head but didn't go to sleep. She knew that she and Harry would be leaving again before the others woke to finish the rest of his mission at Hogwarts. It was only because the death of Dudley had shaken Harry that they were there at all. So she knew there was no time to sleep. Instead she stayed awake through the night, watching over the family, afraid that it would soon fracture apart.

* * *

><p><em>Babble time: (yawn) I've been so out of it recently. Let's just get this over with so I can sleep.<em>

_YinKeket: Lol, I still love your reviews! Hopefully you like this chap too._

_77DMK77: I'm glad you like this story. Uh…I am a little confused though. What do you mean by phrasing things awkwardly? And I'm just a little bit wary of beta readers. Nothing personal, I've just been burned by a few and so I'm sort of cautious. And yes, Vernon got his._

_Well, that's it. This chap is sort of dark…how did that happen? Lol, doesn't matter. See you all soon._

_Thanks for reading! TTFN!_


	14. Fractured Future

Dear Kitsune,

I realize it's sort of stupid to write a letter to a two month old baby but as you're the smartest baby in the world I'm not to worried. I am worried that you'll eat the letter before reading it because you're angry with me but that's a risk I'm going to take. At the very least you'll know I took the time to write you.

You'll never know how much I wish I was with you and Draco. Even though it's only been three weeks it feels like centuries. So many times I've woken up reaching for Draco because I'm cold or I've stopped to listen for your laugh. Each time it feels like a bullet through my heart when I realize you aren't there. Snow tries to help me but though she's my best friend she can't heal a broken heart. I don't think I'll ever feel better until I'm back home and you're in my arms again.

I hope that someday you'll understand why I left you. Maybe I'll never be forgiven but understanding is as much as I will ask for. Then again, Snow is with me and she doesn't fully understand why I left. You'd be proud of her Kit. She supports me without reservation but she's always glaring at me and muttering about 'two-leg stupidity'.

* * *

><p>"<em>Two-leg insanity is a better term, I must admit,"<em> Snow said, reading over his shoulder. Harry chuckled and reached up to scratch behind her ears fondly. He also took the time to rub his hand down her side, feeling the slight bulge that was just now showing. Every time he asked why Snow went off and got pregnant he received a paw swipe to the temple so he'd learned to keep quite. That didn't mean he couldn't wonder.

"Mr. Potter?" Smiling, Harry glanced up at the painting and saw Octavius waiting for him. He'd discovered Octavius soon after returning to Hogwarts, locked in an abandoned classroom and laying on the floor. After learning that Octavius was the Son of Darkness it was no wonder why he was so isolated. But Harry was a denizen of Darkness so he couldn't leave him behind. Instead he managed to smuggle the painting back to the room he'd found that he was using to hide from Dumbledore. Hogwarts herself was aiding his hiding attempts and made sure to keep the professors away from him. Octavius was his spy, finally free to travel the other portraits of the school and report back.

"**Yes Octavius. What is it?"** Octavius smiled slightly, as he always did when Harry said his name. Apparently his name was supposed to be as feared as Voldemort's so he didn't hear it that often.

"Dumbledore has discovered that you switched all of his lemon drops with transfigured owl pellets. He is not amused but I certainly am. McGonagall woke up with that ribbon and bell around her neck and is threatening the students with detention if they don't reveal who did it." Harry smiled at both pieces of news. He'd had a grudge against Dumbledore and McGonagall for refusing to protect him and his child from Ron. But he quickly sobered up when Octavius turned serious. "Some of the elder Slytherins have been recruiting the younger students to Voldemort's side. I'm afraid some of them will turn violent." Harry sighed at that. Yet another reason Draco couldn't be here. He never was reliable when it came to dealing with Slytherins. He either defended them or tore them to shreds.

"**I understand. I'll take care of it."** Octavius nodded once and resumed smiling. As always the sight made Harry shudder. He was sure the expression was one of happiness or amusement but it always managed to look like a shark that was about to bite your head off. It didn't help that Harry couldn't figure out just what manner of creature Octavius was. Sometimes he thought the Son was a demon, sometimes a fallen angel, sometimes a strange lizard type thing. Right now he bore a strong resemblance to an Inferi. All in all it made dealing with him awkward at the best of time.

"_I take it you're going out in your Animagi form,"_ Snow said smugly, a smile tucked into the corners of her mouth. Harry glared darkly at her, not finding it amusing at all. Octavius left with his own little chuckle, mentioning something about giving Filch a hard time. For a couple minutes Harry was able to distract himself with straightening his desk and putting his letter to Kitsune away but then he couldn't ignore it any more and he stood up. With a put upon sigh he reached into himself and visualized the animal he was to become. Soon enough he felt the magic sweep through him and change his body's shape until he stood on four feet, his tail swishing irritably.

"**Not one word,"** he growled at Snow, seeing that she was still rather smug. Yes, he was a fox, but that did not give her a reason to snicker at him! …alright, maybe it did.

"_I didn't say anything,"_ Snow chuckled, easily leaping to the floor. She found it highly amusing that Harry's height (or lack there of) transferred to his fox form. He was as small as her and she was always going to be the runt. _"Shall we go?"_

"**Let's. Before I decide that you're being to smug and a bite your tail,"** Harry sniffed, grinning as Snow instinctively twitched her tail away. Good, she remembered the last time he'd bit her. Before she could give her no doubt sharp retort Harry spun on his feet and trotted out of the room. He heard Snow grumble but she followed him nonetheless. They were both silent as they made their way to the dungeons. A couple students passed them but thanks to Hogwarts they weren't spotted. Well, Mrs. Norris spotted them and hissed but Snow growled like a tiger and that ended that argument.

Finally in the dungeons Harry found the entrance to the Slytherin common room and settled down to wait. He knew Hogwarts would open the portrait if he asked but it wouldn't do to have the portrait open and no one enter. Besides, classes would end soon and the halls would be swarmed. Surely at least one person would enter or exit the dorms.

Sure enough, the bell rang to signal the end of class and the portrait swung open to allow some Slytherin to exit. In the blink of an eye Harry and Snow slipped past him and were in the common room. Of course, they had to duck to the side nearly instantly to avoid getting stepped on as other students came and went. But the deluge eventually slowed down and they cautiously crept further in.

The common rooms hadn't changed much since Harry's visit in second year. Still very posh and rich and screaming of blood and wealth. He still thought the room should be covered in ice, it was so cold and not temperature ways. But he wasn't here for a sight seeing tour. Instead he quickly bounded over and curled up under one of the many sofas. He saw Snow doing the same under a chair near the fire, covering the side of the room he couldn't hear. They'd barely settled down when the talking started.

"Hello Rorin," a seventh year said, suddenly pouncing on a third year that was walking by Harry's couch. The younger boy was so startled he stumbled onto said couch and started huddling there. "Have you thought about our offer?"

"Y-yes," Rorin stuttered, clearly scared for his life. "B-but I don't want to j-join the D-dark Lord."

"That's to bad," a different seventh year said, casually sitting on the couch and lounging, smiling evilly at the boy. "Your sister was sure that her life was worth you joining. I wonder how she'll feel when you chose to let her die instead."

"Leave Mary out of this!" Rorin cried but Harry could hear the despair in his voice. He knew that even if he took the words back his sister was dead. "She's only a little girl."

"Yes she is, and you could have saved her," a seventh year girl sighed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "You chose not to. Oh well. Enjoy your life!" Laughing, the group of seventh years wandered off, leaving Rorin alone on the couch and sobbing.

Harry had heard enough. The portrait opened just then and he dashed out, Snow hard on his heels. As they bounded through the school he heard her growling under her breath and wondered if he was doing the same. He certainly felt mad enough to growl.

Finally back in their room Harry wasted no time shifting back to his human form. _"What are we going to do?"_ Snow asked, flicking her tail in fury. _"I could claw their eyes out but it wouldn't help much in finding the captured siblings._"

'I know,' Harry told her mentally, grabbing his wand and his cloak. 'But there's someone who can help us find the missing children. If he doesn't kill me first for running off.' Sighing, Snow nodded and leapt onto his shoulder. With a spin and a twist they were gone.

* * *

><p>"Probably Francisco and his gang," Draco mused, staring out the window without seeing it. He'd just managed to convince Kitsune that she didn't want to go out in the rain when Harry had shown up. At first he hadn't been willing to talk to his mate at all but Kit smacked him for being stupid so he'd listened. Now he was glad of it. "They were always the ones I thought would recruit for Voldemort."<p>

"**Do you have any idea where they would hide the children?"** Harry asked, careful to stay on the other side of the room. He knew Draco was still furious with him and he didn't want to push the limits to far.

"I would guess that the siblings would be kept at Francisco's manor," Draco sighed, finally getting up off the couch and pacing before the window. "His parents have always spoiled him and gave him a manor of his own when he was a toddler. He has full control over everything that happens there so he'd be able to keep people prisoner very easily." His voice faded away, clearly distracted with other thoughts. He didn't even notice when Harry let a single tear loose.

'It hurts Snow,' Harry said, watching his mate pace restlessly. 'It hurts, how much I've hurt them.' Kitsune had refused to stay in the same room as Harry. Yes, she'd made Draco listen but she still made it clear that she was furious with her mother. And even though Draco was listening he only looked at Harry to read his lips and never looked at his eyes.

"_I know, Bonded,"_ Snow sighed, gently licking Harry's temple. _"You knew this wasn't going to be easy. Is it worth it?"_

'I don't know anymore,' Harry admitted, allowing his hand to rest on his stomach. 'I just don't know.'

"I assume your mission is _so_ important you can't help us free the children," Draco suddenly said, sneering at Harry. The raven flinched at the anger.

"**I never said that-"** he started but Draco cut him off with a sharp laugh.

"You didn't have to use words," he snarled. "You said it when you walked out of Kitsune's and my life. You're nothing but a selfish bastard." The anger suddenly surged through Harry and he roared. Before Draco could blink he was pinned to the wall with Harry's claws around his throat. As soon as he saw the red eyes and fangs he knew he'd gone to far.

"_**You're one to talk,"**_ Harry hissed in that strange echoing voice that his true form gave him. _**"You were so selfish you **__**raped**__** me. You hounded me every day even when you **__**knew **__**how much you'd hurt me. Look at me Draco! Because of you I'm a fucking Incubus! I'm not human anymore; I'm not mortal anymore. That may be fine for you but do you know how much I would trade to be mortal again? Do you have any idea how much you've taken away from me? Because of you I have to watch all of my friends grow old and die. Because of you I can't live in the world I was born to because I would be unchanging in a sea of change. Because of **__**you**__** I will **__**never**__** see my parents! So forgive me for trying to finish the **__**one fucking thing**__** that I must do in the human world. Forgive me for assuming that you and Kitsune loved me enough to understand that I didn't want to leave either of you. Forgive me for thinking that you of all people would know how much pain I suffer every day from being away from the mate that I love!"**_ His eyes narrowed, spitting rage and fury and fire. _**"Or maybe it was the mate I **__**loved**__**. Because you obviously don't love me anymore."**_ With a contemptuous flick he threw Draco across the room and glared at him, his hand resting on his stomach. _**"I'll just try to make sure this child doesn't take after you as much as Kitsune does. I'll teach it that love is not conditional on doing what others want."**_

"You're pregnant?" Draco gasped, trying to calm his breathing now that he didn't think his head was going to be ripped off. However, he still winced when Harry hissed.

"_**That's the only part you heard, isn't it?"**_ Harry growled, tail lashing in fury. _**"All you heard was the part that benefits you. Well, I hope you and Kitsune really care for each other because you're never seeing this baby, **__**Malfoy**__**! In fact, neither of you are ever going to see me or this baby!"**_ Before Draco could even twitch Harry was gone. All was silent until a slight thump behind him made Draco jump and turn. Snow was there, glaring at him, stripes fading in and out even though she remained a kitten.

"_And I thought that Harry was stupid,"_ she grumbled, her tail lashing much like Harry's had. _"If he's stupid you don't even qualify to be an amoeba. For the record though, I'll tell you why Harry left. There are three reasons. Reason number one, he is dying. A stray curse from the attack on Hogwarts when Kitsune was born poisoned his blood. So far the only hint of a cure that he could find was in the human realm. In order to live with you and Kit longer he chose to spend a short time away. Reason number two, he discovered that Voldemort has spies among the Incubus. He knew that you and Kit would be safer if he wasn't here so he left to protect you. Reason number three, as long as Voldemort lives you and Kitsune will never be fully safe. You two matter more the Harry then anything else. He would do anything to protect you, including hunt a madman who wants him dead. And you just threw all of those sacrifices back in his face."_ She growled, phasing to tiger for a fraction of a second before regaining control. _"I let you into his life because I thought you wouldn't hurt him anymore. I was wrong. Out of respect for the love you two _had_ I won't kill you. But hurt him again and Kit will end up an orphan because you will be dead and as far as Harry and I are concerned, you two are no longer family."_

Draco could only watch as Snow also vanished, her words echoing in his mind. _You two are no longer family._ "Harry," he whispered brokenly, finally seeing what he had done. He'd wanted to hurt his mate just like he'd been hurt. He'd wanted Harry to know the torment he'd gone through. He hadn't ever tried to think that there was a reason for Harry leaving. He'd just taken Harry's claim about needing a vacation at face value when he should have known that his mate wouldn't have done such a thing. And now he'd lost his mate for good. "What have I done?" he sobbed, not hearing the door open and Hermione rush in. "Oh my god Harry, what have I done?"

* * *

><p><span>But you're never going to understand why I left, are you Kit? You're never going to forget the pain I caused you and you're always going to hold it over my head. I know you will. You're to much like your father. All you'll ever care about or remember is the pain I caused you. All you'll ever want is to return that pain with interest.<span>

I love you, Kitsune. I dare to say that I love you as much as my mother loved me. I would die for you in a second if it was what was required. But I can't be with people who are searching to hurt me. I can't be with people who look at me and only see the pain I've caused them. Never mind that the wounds I've given myself are deeper and longer. I can't live like that Kit. I don't deserve it and your little sibling doesn't deserve it. So I hope you have a bright and wonderful life. I hope you and Draco are the perfect family. I hope someday you find a mate of your own and that you two come to love each other more then anything else in any world. I hope you find happiness. I hope you live a long and full life.

Because I won't be in it.

With all my love and nothing more,

Harry Potter

* * *

><p><em>Babble time: OMG, I hate this story! I had to go on vacation (snort, is that what they're calling it now?) and had no internet connection AT ALL! Then I come back and can't pick up the thread of the damn story. Oh well, at least now I've given myself some more plot to work with so the story should continue a bit longer. I have to hash out Octavius, defeat Voldemort and his recruiters, help Harry reconcile with his family, have another baby born, deal with Snow's pregnancy, and maybe I'll throw in a unicorn stampede. Well, on to reviews! (which, by the by, why am I getting fewer reviews? Do you guys hate me now? :'( )<em>

_BloodyRose90: Lol, I never thought I'd say poor Dudley either but there it is. I think this story is getting very dark._

_YinKeket: I'm glad you liked the last chapter. I'm also glad the ending was touching. It was hard figuring out the words I wanted Harry to say so I left it more for his actions._

_Yaoi-fan107: I'm glad you like it! And yes, there will be a lot more._

_RRW: Yes! I love surprising people with my stories. It's so much fun. Not so much fun when I get surprised but fun when they do._

_DarkFlameInfernal: Thank you!_

_Thanks for reading! TTFN!_

_(P.S. If you haven't yet, please go vote on my poll! It's for a major story I'm going to write and I need a lot of votes to figure out how to structure the story!)_


	15. Healing Process

"_I think I must call this insanity because if I called this pride I'd have to stop being proud and I don't think that's possible."_

'And I must call you a pest because if I called you concerned I'd be giving you more credit then you're worth.' Snow snorted at his comeback but Harry didn't care. They'd been having the same argument off and on for the last two weeks since Harry had given his ultimatum to Draco. As always Snow was supporting his decision but she certainly made her opinions clear. Yes, she disliked Draco for the pain he'd inflicted on her Bonded but she was just as frustrated with Harry. Just because the blonde decided to act like a spoiled brat didn't mean that the raven could as well.

"Harry? The Bush is here to see you again." Harry sneered at the nickname Octavius had given Hermione but otherwise didn't move. Even as his friend started pounding on the portrait (and why didn't Hogwarts protect him from nosy friends?) he ignored her. Just as he was trying to ignore Snow's gaze but he was failing the second task.

"_Why do you continue to do things you know will hurt you and make you sad?"_ she asked quietly, seeming to be honestly confused. _"Neither of you were in the right about this argument and neither of you were in the wrong. You're just two beings who are so totally in love and devoted that they forget the need for communication."_

'I will not be the one to bow first!' Harry snapped at her, irritation snapping on his words. Just then the baby jabbed forward in a kick, making Harry wince. Damnit, he was only a month along. The baby shouldn't be that advanced.

"_I'm not the one that will make you bow,"_ Snow said with a smile, giving her own wince as the kittens shifted. She probably hadn't thought out her own pregnancy that well. _"Just remember what you said to Draco. You are going to raise the child to know that love is not conditional on what other people want. Doesn't that include you?"_

Harry had no answer for that and didn't bother trying. He knew he was being unreasonable with Draco but couldn't figure out why. When he spent most of his nights laying awake, dreaming of the body that should be beside him with almost a fever induced delusion he couldn't figure out why he was refusing to be with his mate. When he wept silently, wanting to be in Draco's arms and have his love kiss him gently he didn't know why he was staying away. When he saw or read something amusing and couldn't wait to tell Draco only to remember they weren't talking he wondered why he was being so stubborn. The whole argument was outside the norm for either of them.

A shiver swept down Harry's back and made him bolt up from his reclined position. This was abnormal for either of them. Normally when he started acting outside the norm it was caused by a spell. And who would cast a spell to keep Harry and Draco apart?

Voldemort.

Snarling silently, Harry jumped to his feet and raced out of the room. He barely heard Snow's startled meow, Octavius' curse as his portrait was roughly shoved side, or Hermione's shout of surprise. All he knew was that his feet were pounding through the halls and he ran to the library. Surely if this was a spell there would be something in the restricted section that could tell him what it was. Or if it was a spell Voldemort had created Harry could probably find the base and work off of it. Snape would help if he was asked but Harry wasn't keen on going back to the Incubi realm until the spell was off of him. He couldn't bear looking at Draco and knowing the anger he felt at the blonde was spell caused. It would drive him insane.

Maybe Tom would help, Harry mused as he slowed his mad dash to a trot as he entered the library. No one was there, having been gently ushered out by Hogwarts as soon as Harry had started running. It was almost like the school had been waiting for him to make the discovery. Scratch that; it probably had been waiting. Harry had thought Dumbledore had been bad seemingly knowing everything that happened in the school but against the school itself he knew almost nothing. It wouldn't surprise the raven at all if the school had always known about the spell.

"Harry James Potter, just what the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" Hermione tried to shout but she was to breathless from chasing the Incubus. At her feet Snow was muttering darkly herself, having been much slower than normal due to her very swollen stomach. Both females were ignored as Harry frantically scanned the books before him, not giving an ounce of concern that he was in the darkest part of the Restricted Section. By the time Hermione had managed to catch her breath again Harry had already chosen several books and was laying them on a nearby table. However, he did jump when Hermione suddenly slammed her hands on the table before him. "Answer me," she snarled at his surprised look.

"**I don't hate Draco,"** he said quickly, gesturing wildly but he couldn't help it. Now that he understood the hatred he felt such overwhelming _relief_ that he didn't really hate his mate. **"You know me Hermione; I can't hate someone and yet miss them and I miss Draco so much. Whenever I'm away from him I'm sad and depressed and aching to be with him again. But once I am with him again I'm angry and quick to take offence and just want to see him hurt. It must be a spell!"** Hermione's eyes suddenly went wide and her mouth fell open as the words finally made sense to her.

"Oh," she breathed for a second before whirling around and scanning the books herself. Even Snow went off to search a different part of the library. By the time the hour had passed they were all nose deep in books, looking frantically for a spell that resembled what Harry and Draco both were going through. Students finally returned to the library but Hogwarts kept their table isolated and they remained undisturbed even when Madame Pince closed down the library for the night. It was just past midnight when Hermione made a sound of triumph.

"I think I found it," she said excitedly, shoving books aside to let Harry see. "This one is called the sanguinem vires fractura spell. When it's cast it causes feelings of hatred, distrust, suspicion, and the like in every member of the family, driving them apart. That would explain why Kitsune is acting the same way. She cries for you whenever you're gone but then refuses to be near you when you come back."

"**Is there a cure?"** Harry asked, quickly skimming over the passage in the book. It certainly described everything he'd felt.

"I'm not sure. The book doesn't mention one," Hermione said, sounding embarrassed like it was her own fault the book didn't have the cure. "But now that I have something to work on I can do more research in the Incubi realm. Their libraries are far superior to human ones when it comes to the Dark Arts. If there is a cure, they'll have it." For a moment she wavered, clearly wanting to say more. Her eyes clouded with all the anger and confusion she'd brought with her but then they cleared again. She lay a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder and tried to smile. "I know it's not your fault now," she whispered. "But you still hurt Draco very badly. The only reason I'm not going to punch you for what you said is because I can see that you're hurt more. Just…can you stay away until the spell is reversed? That way all three of you can remember that you love each other."

Harry nodded slowly, biting off the words that wanted to come. He wanted to demand to know how Draco and Kit were doing but he could already feel the hatred curling in his stomach, warning him away. However, Hermione was oblivious to his struggle and smiled before dashing out of the library, eager to find the cure. Harry remained seated for a few minutes more, enjoying the silence of the library, before slowly standing and walking back to his room.

In the shadows of the halls Harry remember the night Draco had claimed him and smiled. He still had issues with the pheromones and he probably always would but that night had given him a mate he loved. It had also given him Kitsune who he couldn't imagine living without. The fact that Voldemort had managed to take both of them away just made Harry growl and gnash his teeth.

"_Should I go get Tom or do you want to?"_ Snow asked, trotting at his feet. He'd barely glanced at her before she nodded in understanding. _"I'll just go do that then."_ With a quiet meow and a flick of her tail she was gone and Harry was alone. For a moment he paused, soaking in the stillness and the silence, before resuming his trip.

Back in his room Harry found Octavius sleeping in his frame, sprawled across a random table and snoring rather loudly. Harry shook his head with an amused smile and cast a silencing charm, knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep with those snores. He watched for a moment as Octavius stirred and rolled over but then the Son went back to sleep and left Harry alone. His smile became fond as Harry changed into his pajama's and crawled into the bed. Nothing could replace Draco's presence but for the first time in a month he had hope that he'd be with his mate soon.

* * *

><p>"Yes, that sounds like something Voldemort would do," Tom sighed, closing his eyes in irritation. Needless to say, he'd been startled with Snow had shown up and nearly dragged him out of his nice warm house and brought him to Hogwarts. However, now that Harry had explained the situation he was glad she did. "There should be a cure though and I'm sure the Incubi would have it. If not perhaps some of the older books I stole from him would help."<p>

"**I don't care where the cure comes from,"** Harry said with a tired smile. **"So long as I'm cured and can go back to my family."** Tom nodded once, understanding the sentiment. Even if he hadn't been hunting Harry all these years he still felt responsible and had watched him. He could honestly say that Draco had been good for Harry and was anxious to get the two back together.

"I will begin browsing my books," Tom finally said, standing slowly. He waited for a heartbeat to see if Harry needed him to stay but saw nothing to indicate that dependency so he left. For long minutes after his departure Harry stayed where he sat, staring into nothingness. Hope was quivering in his chest again but he was almost afraid to feel it. He wasn't sure if Draco would ever forgive him for what he'd said.

A sudden pop made Harry jump but when he turned around all he saw was a letter laying on his bed. Frowning, he stood up and walked over to grab the letter. Instantly his pulse picked up when he recognized the handwriting. Shaking slightly, he sat on the bed and opened the letter.

Dear Harry,

First, I must apologize for what I said to you last time you were home. I understand why I said such things now that Hermione has explained the curse to me but I find that it's not an excuse. I still said many things for the express purpose of hurting you and my regret knows no bounds. The only thing that is keeping me from begging for your forgiveness is the knowledge that you did the same. We're both equally innocent and guilty.

Now that that is out of the way (and you have no idea of how lucky you are to have a Malfoy apologize to you) there are a couple things I need to address. Firstly, Kitsune. She has been nearly desolate since your letter though she's feeling slightly better now. She wanted me to tell you that she does understand why you left and agrees that the work needs to be done and that she loves you and is very excited for the curse to be broken so that she can hug you and tell you for herself.

Secondly, I can't tell who's more excited for the curse to break, Kit or myself. I don't think I've quit crying since you left unless it was while I was asleep. Hearing about the curse was actually a relief because I finally understood why my heart was breaking over a man I felt hatred for. Actually, now that I know about the curse I wonder how I was ever fooled by the false feelings of hatred. They are hatred, certainly, but no where as deep and rich as the hatred I felt for you when we were children. I'm almost ashamed that I was fooled.

Thirdly, I hope you're not planning on doing much for the first couple days after the curse is broken. Because as soon as I can look at without feeling hatred I'm dragging you to bed and not letting you up. I'm counting the minutes until I can be inside of you again, your ass tight around my cock and your moans vibrating in my mouth. I'm going to make love to you again and again until neither one of us can stay awake and then I'm going to curl up around and sleep only to resume as soon as I wake up. My cock is going to be up your ass for so long it's going to feel like it's a part of your body. By the time I pull out your stomach is going to be full of my child and my cum you're going to look like you're about to give birth.

I love you Harry, Never, ever doubt that.

Your mate,

Draco

Sighing, Harry fell over on the bed, holding the letter to his chest. If he breathed just right he could still smell Draco's scent on the paper. For one glorious moment he was able to bask in the love of his mate without hatred swirling in the background. And for the first time he dared to embrace the hope that he would be with his mate soon.

* * *

><p>"Harry, are you sure about this?" Hermione asked, watching her friend nervously. She hadn't managed to find anything on the curse in the Incubi library but Tom had managed to find the cure and they had cast it an hour ago. The effects of the curse should have ended by then but she wasn't sure and thus thought Harry was taking a risk.<p>

"**Not really," **Harry admitted with a shrug. **"But it's been a month and a half. I need to do this."** Hermione was still a little worried but she nodded and walked out of the room. Left by himself at last Harry started to undress, ignoring his shaking fingers.

Some time later the door finally opened and someone stepped in. Harry remained facing away, his shoulders tense in the darkness as the door closed. For a moment everything was quiet and then he heard a quiet sniff. Hesitant feet approached until a hand rested on his shoulder. "Harry?" The raven finally turned to look into Draco's wide eyes. He barely managed a smile before he was suddenly pulled into his mate's arms with Draco's mouth on his. With a groan Harry closed his eyes and surrendered, feeling the heat and love radiating off of his mate.

Both Incubi were in a daze as Draco quickly stripped and shoved Harry back on to the bed. True to his letter the blonde quickly thrust into his mate and both of them nearly screamed in release. All of their pent up emotions were finally released as Draco set up a devastating pace. He kept thrusting in and out of Harry until he was sure that he was going to rub off all the skin on his cock but he didn't care. And when Harry finally screamed his release he dragged Draco's orgasm right along with him. For long moments they lay in each other's arms, panting and gulping for air, until Draco pulled back. "Welcome home," he rasped, his eyes roaming over his beloved mate's face. One of his hands came up to cradle Harry's face and he smiled as Harry mirrored his actions.

"**I love you,"** Harry mouthed, his eyes glowing. **"I've always loved you."**

"I love you too," Draco said, leaning down and nuzzling Harry's neck. "I'll always love you." He moved up to grab Harry in another kiss as his hips lazily began to thrust again. He hadn't been exaggerating in his letter when he said that he was going to fuck Harry until they both fell asleep from exhaustion. And considering they were both sex demons that was going to take a long time.

* * *

><p><em>Babble time: Only two more weeks and then school is over! After that my updates should go back to being once a day. Should being the key word there. Anyway, let's get on to the reviews, shall we?<em>

_Princessjolie: As Draco pointed out, neither of them are really in the right or in the wrong. Still, I understand your reason for siding with Draco. And yes, Harry was being stupid and selfish._

_Twilightobsession20: I'm glad I continue to surprise. The day I get to be predictable is the day I turn in my author's license and quit writing._

_Megipegi: Thank you!_

_BloodyRose90: Lol, was it that…twisty? Seems a lot of people are mad at Harry and , I admit, he did come off as more of the jerk. However, that could be because Draco is naturally a jerk so we notice Harry more._

_YinKeket: Wait, you're two people? Wow. Didn't know that. I'm glad you liked the chapter though and you're actually the first to mention Octavius. I hope you continue to enjoy my chapters!_

_Natalia: And you are the first to side with Harry. Humph, you figured out my plan for the baby. Oh well, I still have a few surprises up my sleeves._

_Angel N Darkness: I'm glad you like my story and I'm really glad you liked the chapter. Hopefully you like this one too._

_Once again, please vote in my poll. I need a LOT of votes to figure out what the hell I'm gonna do._

_Thanks for reading! TTFN!_


	16. Game over

"Why didn't you tell me you were dying?" Draco asked, running his hand through Harry's hair. They lay tangled together on the bed, still panting from their latest round of lovemaking. It probably wasn't the best time to bring up the fact that the raven was dying but Draco couldn't wait anymore. Now that the curse was gone the blonde could feel the panic swirling through him at the thought of losing his mate.

Harry sighed, snuggling closer to Draco's heat. He'd known the question would come up eventually but he'd hoped for a bit more time. Mostly because he didn't have an answer that wouldn't result in Draco getting pissed off at him. He was just about to distract the blonde with a kiss when the baby jabbed him sharply in the stomach, making him hiss. Damn intelligent baby!

"**I didn't want you to worry,"** Harry finally mouthed into Draco's chest. **"At first I thought there was no cure and then I found the cure would probably kill me. The only way to counteract the curse is to use a high level cutting curse on me."**

"But that will kill you!" Draco cried, holding Harry even closer. He felt the raven grunt a bit in discomfort but neither pulled away.

"**Yes, I did just say that the cure would kill me,"** Harry mouthed, nipping at Draco's shoulder in frustration. **"But I'm working on it. Snow's been helping me research ways to modify cutting curse so it won't cause to much damage. At least, not enough to be lethal. We hope."**

"You hope," Draco said dryly, making it clear how little he valued that statement. "Harry, we may be immortal but we'll still die if someone puts in enough effort to try. And yes, I know you know that so close your mouth right now." Harry sheepishly obeyed. Silence fell between the two again before Draco sighed and buried his face in the raven's hair. "I just wish you'd trusted me."

Really, there was no reply to that statement and Harry didn't bother trying to create one. Instead he just shifted his arms so that he held Draco closer and breathed in his scent. Time ceased for a long blissful moment before the baby suddenly moved again, drawing a hiss from Harry. This time Draco had felt the movement too and pulled back with a chuckle. "This babe is pretty active. That's good." Harry gave him a glare that clearly said, 'You wanna try carrying a baby?' before huffing and rolling over. He didn't care about his nudity even as he felt Draco's eyes roam over him. He probably should have.

"_Why is mommy not dressed?"_ Yelping, Harry bolted up and quickly covered himself and Draco with the blanket before turning to the door. Kitsune was standing there, her hand still on the doorknob and an utterly confused look on her face. _"Mommy, why aren't you and daddy dressed?"_

"Kit, I told you to knock before opening doors," Draco whined, carefully wrapping one of the blankets around him so he could rise while still leaving Harry the other. "You're not even supposed to be up yet." Kitsune didn't answer as she was to busy staring at her mother with big tearful eyes. As soon as Harry opened his arms she shot across the room and held him tight. Harry chuckled quietly and leaned down so he could move his lips across her scalp and started talking to her. The sight made Draco smile in relief, happy to see his family together again at last. However, he frowned when he noticed tears gathering in Harry's eyes. "Harry?" he asked, sitting beside his mate. Those emerald eyes met his and Harry smiled sadly.

"**She wasn't walking when I left,"** he mouthed. **"She was still crawling."** The tears finally spilled over, leaving tracks down the raven's face. **"I missed her first steps."** Draco winced, having forgotten that. It was only the last couple weeks that Kit had been walking and Harry was right. He was gone during that time. Luckily, the blonde realized that reassurance wasn't going to work so instead he just pulled both of his loves into his arms and held them as Kit babbled on about what had happened since her mom had left and Harry cried silently into Draco's shirt.

"_I think I'm going to cough up a hairball,"_ Snow drawled, leaping up onto the bed. Harry scowled at her and irritably nudged her with his foot but didn't kick her off. He'd wait until after she gave birth to do that. _"Before you two regress to sucking each other's faces off Octavius is here and he is very pissed off."_ Groaning, Harry slumped onto the bed, hitting his head against the mattress a couple times before rolling off the bed. He heard Draco griping at the kitten and smiled, amazed at how much he missed the sound of the two arguing.

"_Can I come with you?"_ Smiling, Harry quickly put on a robe before picking up Kitsune and leaving the room. He was barely out in the hall when he heard the shouting and screaming. Heaving a large sigh (couldn't Octavius ever be quiet? Or patient?) he quickly trotted down the hall while Kit continued to babble. He did wince once when she told him about how she'd gotten into the kitchen and proceeded to paint herself with honey. Draco must have had a wonderful time trying to clean her.

"Where is Harry? I know he's here somewhere so quit saying he's not! Who the hell are you anyway? Ah, forget it. I want to see Harry now!"

"**I think Octavius is a little impatient,"** Harry mouthed to Kitsune with a smile. For a moment she stared down the hall where the shouting was coming from before turning back to Harry with a rather unimpressed look. Harry chuckled at the sight before hurrying down the hall. Even if Octavius was just a painting he could be amazingly devastating in the real world. Something about being able to manipulate shadows even though he is trapped inside the painting. Honestly, Harry had never tried to figure it out.

'I'm here Octavius,' he called mentally as he entered the room. He instantly knew which portrait Octavius had commandeered because everyone else in the room was as far away from it as they could get. For a second the Son looked at him with literal fire snapping in his eyes but then a huge grin broke across his face.

"Harry!" he called, quickly loping through the other portraits, causing their inhabitants to flee, until he was beside the raven. "You're looking much better. Happy to finally be home?"

"**You know I am,"** the raven said with a smile, choosing to move his lips so that the others could understand him. **"But why are you here? I thought you couldn't leave Hogwarts."** Just like that Octavius' smile vanished and Harry realized just how scared the demon was.

"We need your help," he said quickly, hardly flicking an eye when Draco strode into the room. "Voldemort is camped out in the forest and has been battering the wards for the last two days." At this he frowned at both Incubi. "You'd think the dark realms would notice and tell their people but no. I have to come all the way here and do you have any idea how hard that is. But I digress." His face shifted to show his worry once more. "Dumbledork won't send for help, insisting that he can handle it but he's wrong. Everyday the wards grow weaker and now some attacks are actually getting through but he still won't do anything even though…even though…" Harry was shocked as tears welled up in Octavius' eyes and felt his stomach drop. "Even though Gryffindor Tower was destroyed. Their gone Harry. They're all…gone…"

Without warning Harry's legs collapsed and he fell to the floor. He vaguely heard people shouting around him but his mind was filled by Octavius' echoing words. Gryffindor Tower had fallen. His friends had died. They'd _died_ and Dumbledore still wasn't doing anything. He was going to just stand back and watch Voldemort destroy the school and kill all of the students.

"Harry." The raven looked up quickly and met Draco's sad gaze. "You need to go fight." For a moment it looked like the blonde was searching for more words but he finally closed his mouth when he realized that there weren't anymore words. Harry needed to fight. That had been decided years before. No matter how much his instincts screamed at him to take his mate away and hide him he knew he couldn't. Besides the fact that Harry would kill him if he tried. But when he went to move away from Harry he suddenly found himself being pulled into a crushing hug.

"**Not without you,"** Harry said against Draco's neck. **"I'm not doing anything without you anymore."** He felt when the blonde instantly relaxed and held him closer. At least if the curse had taught him nothing else it had taught him that what both of them wanted most was to be with their mate. Everything took second place so long as they were together.

* * *

><p>"I still can't believe it," Draco muttered, crawling over yet another partially collapsed wall. His eyes swept over the hall in despair. Even after hearing Octavius talk about the damage done to the castle he hadn't believed it was this bad. Hell, he still didn't believe it and he was looking at it. Part of him insisted that this couldn't be Hogwarts and he'd somehow ended up in a different castle. But then he spotted a bloody Ravenclaw badge and knew he hadn't.<p>

Draco's worried eyes flicked to his husband but Harry was just looking around grimly. His mouth was in a tight line and there was anguish in his eyes but it didn't look like he was going to break down. Not yet anyway. Maybe later, when they were alone.

"Believe it," Tom said tightly, crawling over a boulder not far from the two Incubi. They'd run into each other outside the Great Hall as Tom had hurried over as soon as he'd heard the fate of Gryffindor Tower. He'd known that Harry would come running and was worried (and proven correct) that his mate would follow. Draco shuddered at the mere thought. He could have gone the rest of his life without seeing Tom kiss Severus. Actually, the kiss wasn't so bad. But watching your godfather gasp and actually see Tom's tongue enter Sev's mouth was nightmare inducing.

"Has anyone else noticed how quiet it is?" Hermione asked, glancing around nervously. She'd thought that they'd eventually run into some one but the six of them (if you included Octavius who was flitting through the portrait frames) hadn't seen anyone.

"**The students are down in the dungeons,"** Harry mouthed, being able to almost taste their fear. Sometimes being a creature of darkness and nightmares sucked. **"The staff is guarding them. I hope Voldemort doesn't get the idea of flooding the dungeon."**

"Bite your tongue brat," Severus hissed but there was no malice in his voice. "Let's not give any eavesdroppers any ideas." He and Harry had noted surveillance and spying spells coating almost every surface. Voldemort knew they were there and was probably listening in, trying to plan against them.

"**Might I remind you that I am mute?"** Harry sneered at the Potion Master. **"There are no vision oriented spells so Old Snake Face can hear all of you but he can't see me so he has no clue what the hell I'm saying."**

"Enough, both of you," Tom ordered irritably. "We're supposed to be figuring out how to fight Voldemort, not fighting amongst ourselves." For a few more tense moments Severus and Harry glared at each other before suddenly turning away and ignoring the other. Draco blinked in shock of the immaturity before shrugging and continuing down the hall. If there was anyone in the world who could make his godfather act immature it was Harry. He heard Tom mutter darkly about overgrown children and smiled dimly. In fact, he was just about to respond when Snow suddenly hissed and shifted into a tiger. Everyone froze, ears and eyes straining for whatever had alerted her. Harry was the first to spot it.

"**Bellatrix,"** he hissed, shifting into his Incubi form. Everyone near him tensed, getting ready for the battle as the insane witch cackled.

"If it isn't Baby Potter," Bellatrix cooed before bursting into cackles again. "Don't you look so cute with that foxy tail." For a second silence reigned when Draco suddenly sighed slumped where he stood.

"Goodbye Aunt Bella," he muttered. Before anyone could ask what the hell he was talking about Bellatrix was suddenly flying through the air, screaming as blood poured from her face where Harry had punched her.

"**Don't call me cute!"** Harry yelled, waving his arms and stomping his feet like a little kid. He didn't even notice all of his friends staring at him like he was insane while Snow repeatedly smacked her head against a random wall.

"Remind me to never call him cute," Tom mumbled, still trying to connect the stomping toddler before him to the very terrifying and powerful Incubi he was used to thinking of Harry as. Before anyone could answer there was suddenly a loud shriek and the floor suddenly lurched, knocking all of them over. Hermione screamed as she pitched forward, heading straight for a large chasm in the floor. She vaguely heard a roar before someone grabbed her hand and she was jerked to a stop. With a gasp she looked up and saw Harry holding her tightly, the claws on his other hand buried deep into the stone. For the barest of seconds a smile flit across her face before she noticed the shock in the raven's eyes and followed his gaze. Another scream was ripped from her throat, this time drawing the attention of the others who had barely managed to stop themselves from falling into the pit. Shock feel on the entire hall as Hermione's scream echoed away and they all stared…

…at the spear that went straight through Harry's abdomen and his womb.

* * *

><p><em>Babble time: Did you miss me? I think so, or at least I hope so. Well, I FINALLY graduated so now I have until August with no school! Celebrate! No, seriously, celebrate, because I will now resume updating on a much quicker basis. Maybe even everyday like I used to. That being said, sorry for how short this chapter is. I took a break from writing for my finals and, well, couldn't really pick it up again so I just had to end it really fast. And yes, if any of you are wondering, I based Harry's 'cute' reaction on Ed from FMA and how he reacts to being called short. Well, on to the review responses.<em>

_BloodyRose90: Yes, they're back together. And yes, Harry's curse was addressed (sort of) face to face._

_Valinda Blade: I'm glad you like the story. And thanks for voting!_

_Snitch Me: Lol, I'm glad._

_LOvE543: I'm glad you stayed for the story. I know the first two chapters didn't paint a really good picture of the story but they were needed. I'm not sure who Harry's baby will take after…I'm actually not sure if it will survive. The whole spear through the womb thing wasn't exactly in my plans. (Damn story) And yes, Tom's mate was revealed at last. Truth be told…I'd forgotten that part. XP_

_Angel N Darkness: I'm glad you liked the chapter. I didn't want Harry and Draco to be fighting for no good reason so a curse was the best choice._

_YinKeket: The father of Snow's kittens will forever be her secret. Seriously, she's not telling me. I've always thought that Hogwarts had a life of it's own and I figured it wouldn't hurt to have it side with Harry. Actually, I think I may need that connection next chapter. Octavius is a very fun character to write and I'm glad you thought he was funny. And yes, the family is all back together to Kit can be with her mother again…or at least she had the time. Damn story, not telling me who survives._

_Flower deep: I'm glad you like the story!_

_And those are all the reviews. To all of you wondering about Tom's mate, he's finally revealed. I feel so bad about forgetting to reveal that sooner. Now please, no one kill me for this chap. If you kill me you'll never find out if the baby and/or Harry survive. And please, please, please, vote on my poll. I've only had 10 people vote and I'm really sad. Hopefully you'll all have the next chap by Saturday or sooner. Until then, please resist the urge to attack me. However, you can hoard all the weapons you want just in case the baby does die._

_Thanks for reading! TTFN!_


	17. Twist in Time

Draco hated hospitals. He always had. According to his parents he had cried nearly non-stop after he was born and didn't stop until they'd left the hospital. He never visited his friends when they went to the hospital. Even when he was the one in need of the hospital services' his parents had to drag him in literally kicking and screaming, Malfoy pride be damned. Yet here he was, sitting alone in a hospital hall outside the room where his mate and child were fighting for their lives.

_There's nothing we can do. We're going to lose them._ That's what the healers had said. They hadn't even been in the hospital for five damn minutes and they'd given up. If Tom hadn't flown into a rage Harry wouldn't even have a room. He would have been left in the hall with a nurse checking in every so often to see when he died.

_There's nothing we can do. We're going to lose them._ Draco wasn't even sure if they caught the person who had attacked Harry. Hell, he wasn't even sure if it was a person. It could have been a spell for all he knew. Everything was sort of a blur from the moment he saw that bloody spear going straight through his mate's body. Well, not everything. He could still clearly see Harry's sharp emerald eyes meet his in shock and fear before they glazed over and he lost consciousness.

_There's nothing we can do. We're going to lose them._ Severus had been the only one that hadn't frozen. Before anyone else could even fathom what they were seeing he had gathered Harry in his arms and was running for the exit so he could apparate. Tom had quickly followed, grabbing Draco under the arms and dragging him along. The blonde thought he remembered Snow roaring somewhere behind him and racing off but he wasn't sure. He wasn't sure of anything anymore.

_There's nothing we can do. We're going to lose them._ His mother and father had come once they'd heard. They'd also brought Kitsune. Draco wished they hadn't. He hadn't known how to tell his daughter that now that they finally had Harry back he may die. How can you tell any child, no matter how intelligent and mature, that their mother was dying? In the end he hadn't been able to and Tom had had to explain what had happened. The blonde could still hear his daughter's agonized scream when she'd finally understood. Tom and Severus had finally taken her back to the palace. His parents had offered to stay and wait with him but he'd sent them back. The only person he wanted by his side was Harry. If he couldn't have his mate then he wanted no one.

_There's nothing we can do. We're going to lose them._

"Draco?" The blonde looked up listlessly to find Hermione standing before him. She was bruised and bloody but there was a sad smile on her face. "We got the Death Eater," was all she said. It was enough. At least if Harry died-

"It doesn't matter," Draco croaked, sharply turning his face away to hide the tears. "It won't bring him back." Speaking shattered his composure and he burst into sobs. He felt Hermione gather him in her arms but couldn't find the strength to care. For a moment he almost thought he could see Harry's heart monitor flat-line as his husband slipped away. But when no alarm sounded he knew that, somehow, Harry had lived another second but how many more seconds did he have? "Why did this have to happen?" he sobbed, finally clinging to Hermione. "I just got him back! Why is he leaving me?" The witch had no answer other then holding the sobbing Incubi close and trying to soothe him. A Healer came their way, frowning because of the noise, but one glare from Hermione had them running in the other direction.

Snow watched the whole exchange from her spot on the floor. She wanted so desperately to be at her Bonded's side but she knew as well as everyone else that he wouldn't survive the night. She also knew that he would want her to watch over his family in his place. So with one last wistful look at his still form she turned from the door and leapt into the blonde's lap. For a moment her blue eyes met Draco's grey ones before Draco gathered her in his arms and held her close. They clung to each other as their worlds fell apart, all because of the death of one person.

"Excuse me?" Hermione glanced over to see a young Healer nearby. For a moment their white hair and green eyes reminded her of someone but the feeling was gone before she could catch it. Instead she scowled darkly, making the Healer blink in surprise.

"If you say anything about their displays of emotion or the noise-" she started but the Healer quickly cut her off.

"Why would I mention either? The Incubi's mate is dying; I think he's actually being pretty calm about it, all things considered. Actually, I came over to introduce myself. I'm Healer Kara; my shift just started and I'm taking over this case for Healer Jirone."

"I didn't think Harry had a Healer," Hermione grumbled, even as she shook Kara's hand. She blinked when her mumble produced an irritated smile from the Healer.

"Jirone said he thought this case was impossible and pointless," she admitted. "However, apparently I'm still new enough to the job to not know when to give up. Now, am I correct in my assumption that nothing has been done for Mr. Potter?"

"Nothing." Both witches turned to look at Draco who was glaring daggers at the Healer. "No one has done one god damn thing to help Harry." He watched as Kara's face twisted in what he knew was anger but only later realized that the anger was towards her fellow Healers.

"Wonderful," she muttered, finally moving to enter the room. She left the door open a crack incase anyone wanted to enter with her but no one moved so she was left alone.

The room was dark. So dark she almost couldn't see the bed, let alone Harry. If it wasn't for her enhanced night vision she wouldn't have seen him. As it was, because of her vision she could see him all to clearly. For a moment she had to swallow against the nausea that she always felt at the scent of blood but this time it was a little worse. Not much but enough for her to notice. "Merlin curse all Healers," she muttered, finally striding across the room to stand beside the bed. "How could they just leave him like this?"

"They're human," her brother said dismissively, stepping out of her shadow. "What were you expecting?" Normally he would receive a glare for that sort of talk but this time Kara just sighed and gave him a weary look. The affect was the same however and he shut up…for a moment. Then he asked, "So how are we going to help him?"

"How the hell should I know, Sesha?" she asked, a sliver of teasing entering her voice. "You're the one who decided to be a Healer. I decided to run around chasing dangerous creatures and get the shit beat out of me whenever one is especially pissed off."

"Thus why I chose to be a Healer," Sesha muttered but he still became more serious and started examining Harry. He hissed angrily on occasion when he came across a wound or portion of a wound that the Healers could have healed to give the raven more of a chance. Once he noticed enough he started muttering under his breath about his plans to annihilate the human species but Kara was used to such words and ignored them. Instead she tried to soothe Harry's pain, knowing he could feel it even if he was unconscious. It wasn't until Sesha stepped away that she refocused on her brother.

"The baby is fine," the teen said, rubbing at his face tiredly. "Harry's magic is protecting it quite fiercely. However, he's almost completely bled out and there is a lot of nerve and artery damage." His pale blue eyes opened and met Kara's, showing the depth of his worry. "I don't know if I can heal him in time."

"All we can do is try," she soothed, knowing how worried he was. Hell, she was worried herself. "I'll go distract the three outside and give you time to work." He nodded tightly and managed a weak smile for her which she returned with a stronger grin. She, at least, had faith in him. "Good luck," she whispered before quietly leaving the room.

"Well, let's see if that helps any," she said quietly with a smile. Draco gave her a look, knowing something had happened in the room but unsure of what. "I'll check on him again in a couple hours to see if anything has improved. Meanwhile, how about we get some food into the three of you?"

"I'm not leaving Harry," Draco said instantly and flatly, leaving no room for argument. However, Kara still frowned at him.

"You're not doing him any good sitting here and getting weaker. You should take care of yourself so that when he wakes up-"

"He's not going to wake up!" Draco screamed, finally shooting to his feet, his eyes wild with pain. "Will you quit pretending that he can be saved? I know, alright! It's hopeless. I'm going to lose them both and there's nothing anyone can do about it so I'm not leaving them alone! So will you just shut up and-" He never got to finish as a smack echoed down the hall. Hermione and Snow stared with gaping jaws as Draco slowly lifted his hand to touch the stinging handprint on his cheek.

"Now that you're finally quiet maybe you'll let me speak," Kara said quietly, her voice very frosty and sharp. "I'll admit, I don't know Harry Potter as well as you do and, frankly, I don't want to. But I do know two things. First, I know that he is a fighter who never gives up. Do you honestly think he's just lying in that bed, waiting for death to come and take him and his baby away? Do you really think he isn't fighting with every last scrap of his strength to live so that he can come back to you? Second, I know that people in comas can hear what is going on around them. How do you think he feels, hearing that his mate has already given up on him? If that's honestly how you feel then fine, feel that way but do me a favor and get the hell out of here. Harry doesn't need people who have given up on him. He needs people who are willing to fight just as hard for him as he is fighting for them. Now, if you're quite done making a fool of yourself I suggest you go get some food and take a shower so you'll have enough strength to wait for Harry to wake up. Otherwise, get the hell out of here." Without waiting for a reply Healer Kara strode away, her mind already flicking to the next item on her to do list. She did glance back just once to see Draco visibly shake himself before he hesitantly headed towards the cafeteria. A sad smile crossed her face as she turned to face forward again…and as soon as she was out of sight she hissed and rubbed her stinging hand. Shit, hitting his face like that hurt!

* * *

><p>"<em>Daddy?"<em> Draco looked up with a smile as Kitsune walked into his room. Her eyes were still a little red from weeping but she seemed to be in control of herself again. _"What are you doing home? Did mommy die?"_ Tears were rapidly filling her eyes so Draco quickly picked her up and held her close.

"No love," he soothed, rubbing his hand through her hair. "Mommy isn't dead. I just came to take a shower and grab a change of clothes. Do you want to go back with me?" She just nodded, keeping her face buried in his chest. Checking one last time to make sure he had everything he picked up a toy for Kit before apparating back to the hospital. He appeared in the hall again without a sound and glanced around. He'd been gone for a couple hours but it didn't look like much had changed. He was just about to take a seat when Harry's door opened and Healer Kara stepped out. She gazed at them for a moment, her eyes hard and cold. But then, to Draco's shock, she nodded.

"Welcome back," she said quietly a smile dancing in the corners of her mouth. "Do you want to come in?" Draco was about to refuse the offer but Kit suddenly turned around and nodded. For a second the two white haired females stared at each other before Kara blinked and let the smile bloom. She stepped to the side and gestured for Draco to enter. "I think you'll be surprised," she whispered as he passed by. He glanced at her curiously for a moment but she just kept smiling and gently pushed him in.

The room was just like Draco remembered. Dark, cold, and way to still. He heard the heart monitor beeping away, telling him that his mate's heart was still beating. Even Kit released a sigh of relief at the sound. Ignoring the darkness Draco dropped the stuff he'd brought in the chair before going over to his mate. Without words he set Kitsune down so she could curl up next to her mother. Taking a deep breath Draco steeled himself before finally looking closely at Harry.

He had to admit, Harry did look better. He wasn't so pale and the blood had finally been cleaned off. His breathing also didn't seem as labored. Grey eyes swept over the screens, taking in the raven's vitals and he was suddenly hopeful for the first time when he saw how much stronger they all were. Still, his heart was guarded against hope as his common sense told him that the first set of Healers that had given up had been correct. _There's nothing we can do. We're going to lose them._ One more deep breath and Draco looked at Harry's face…

…and his wide open eyes. **"Draco?"**

"Harry!"

* * *

><p>"Sounds like Harry woke up," Kara said with a smile, watching as Healers started running towards the room from which Draco's cry had come. "I knew you could do it."<p>

"Shut. Up," Sesha panted, slumped over as he tried to catch his breath. That was by far the hardest healing he'd ever had to do. "As much as I appreciate your praise, which I deserve even more of, I'm a little to tired to care at the moment." Kara chuckled darkly even as she offered her brother an arm to lean on so that he could walk out. The two of them slowly made their way down the hall, unseen and unnoticed by anyone. They knew that somewhere behind them people were exclaiming about Harry's amazing recovery but it didn't matter to them anymore.

"I can't believe I was ever that small," Kara suddenly mused, frowning slightly. "I wonder what happened." Sesha chuckled dryly, also having been amused by the sight of his sister as a baby. Now that they mentioned it…

"So where did the name Kara come from?" he asked. He grinned at his sister's annoyed wince. This was going to be great blackmail in the future.

"It wasn't like I could use my name," she huffed, knowing Sesha was smirking at her. "They know my name, unlike yours. It wasn't like they met you anyway, coward."

"Sticks and stones," her brother teased, sticking his nose in the air. He then yelped when she suddenly dropped him and he hit the floor. "What was that for?"

"If you're strong enough to tease you're strong enough to walk," she called back, confidently striding away. Smirking to herself she silently counted her steps. 'One, two, three, four, annnnddd…"

"Fine, damnit! Please come back and help." With an evil grin she spun on her heel and did just that, hoisting her brother into her arms and proceeding to carry him out of the hospital. She heard him mutter darkly but he knew she'd drop him again if he went to far. Instead he tried to settle in her arms and drift off to sleep. He really was tired after all. "Goodnight Kit," he murmured.

"Goodnight Sesha," Kitsune said, allowing a true smile to cross her face. Outside the hospital she paused just long enough to look back and see her mother's window. She smirked at his frustrated face as Draco held him close and clearly wasn't letting go. Actually, it looked like the younger her was doing the same thing. For a fraction of seconds Harry also glanced at the window and their eyes met. The moment stretched and she smiled at him, finally allowing her eyes to soften as his own grew in recognition.

"**Goodnight mommy,"** she mouthed before turning and striding away. Those bright green eyes followed her until she and her brother were swallowed by darkness and finally gone.

* * *

><p><em>Babble time: …okay…wtf just happened…yeah, I don't know either. Well, at least Harry's alive. And apparently the baby is too…I think. I think Sesha was Harry's second baby. Maybe not. GAH! GODDAMN STORY! STICK TO MY PREPLANNED SCRIPT! …(ahem) Sorry about that. Let's get to the reviews.<em>

_IaminlovewithVegetaandTrunks: Yes, the evil cliffy. I love using them but I try to use them sparingly to avoid my beloved readers from killing me._

_BloodyRose90: I'm so glad you missed me! And yes, I ended on THAT but I followed with THIS. Surely that makes up for it…maybe?_

_YinKeket: Hmm, short review this time. Yes, Kit saw them naked; I just had to do it at least once. And I'm so glad you like Octavius. Dumbledore is an old fool who should have retired years ago. And yes, Draco and Harry will both be pissed in the next chapter._

_Lientjuhh: I'm glad you like it._

_Angel N Darkness: (snickers) I'm so evil for the cliffy but it was so much fun. I am really glad that you enjoyed the chapter though._

_Mymmstastebetterthanyours: I seriously had to read your name seven or eight times before I finally figured out what you were saying. Now that I have, I love it! And yes, cliffies, gotta love them. Well, when you know what happens next you love them because people react so amusingly. And I'm glad you like my story. I think I answered your question already._

_Well, that's all I have to say. Now I need to go hit my head until I lose consciousness in the hope that it will stop me from dreaming. Don't get me wrong, normally I love dreams but recently I've been dreaming of my best friend, who is most definitely MALE, dressed in drag and acting like a whore. (shivers) If it doesn't stop I'm gonna have to kill him soon. So, yeah, don't know when the next chap will be out. Hopefully by Wednesday._

_Thanks for reading! TTFN!_


	18. Dreams

"**What are we going to do about Voldemort?"** Draco paused what he was doing and stared at his mate incredulously. Did Harry really just ask that only two days after waking up from a wound that should have killed both him and the baby? Yes, yes he did.

"_You_ are going to rest," the blonde said firmly, scowling at the raven on the bed. "In case you haven't noticed you came within inches of dying just two days ago." Actually, Harry hadn't. Death had decided to just let the ferry float along the river so that Harry could hopefully figure out how to guide the demons back to the river. He'd always known his family wouldn't let him die so he hadn't worried about it. Although now that he knew that everyone but Healer Kara (coughKitsunecough) had given up on him he was glad for his ignorance.

"**But what about Hogwarts?"** he argued, frowning in frustration. **"Dumbledork isn't doing anything to try and protect the school and more children are going to die if we don't do something."**

Draco was seconds away from saying 'Then let them die,' before he realized that if those words left his lips he was going to be the one being buried because Harry, weak or not, was going to kill him. Instead he took a deep breath and tried to reason with his very irritating and stubborn mate.

"Harry, you can't do much right now," he said, deciding that blunt was the only way to get through to the raven. "You know what the healers said. If you put to much stress on the womb or the baby you could still bleed out and lose the baby."

"**Are we talking about the same healers that gave up on me?"** Harry growled, his eye twitching slightly. He was still pretty pissed at that.

Draco winced before nodding. That brought the validity of his argument down a bit. "Yes, the same ones. But Severus agreed with them on the rest part. No matter how good you feel you really did come close to dying and taking the baby with you. For now you have to stay in bed." Harry huffed and flopped back onto the pillows, scowling at the ceiling. He still wasn't convinced that things had been that bad but Draco's obvious worry made him reluctant to upset his mate. If nothing else he knew that he had to take it easy for Draco's sake. He wasn't sure how many more times the blonde could come close to losing him before he finally snapped.

"**Alright,"** he sighed. **"I'll stay here."** His eyes cracked open and met Draco's. **"But just because I'm laid up doesn't mean that we can't do anything."**

"What can we do without you?" Draco asked, finally coming over to sit on the bed and pull his mate in his arms. "You're the one prophesied to defeat Voldemort." Harry shifted so he could glare up at his blonde love.

"**We're Incubi,"** he drawled irritably. **"We're above prophesy and the foolish idiocy of humans. Or at least, that's what the other Incubi say. As far as I know the prophesy became invalid the moment you bit me. Anyone can beat Voldemort now."**

Well, that was certainly true. Draco could beat himself for forgetting that part of the Incubi lore. Besides, he should be ecstatic that his mate didn't have to fight the insane psycho.

"I forgot," he finally huffed, resting his chin on Harry's head so that his mate was snuggled into his shoulder. "Are you sure you want us to fight him? You've spent most of your life preparing to fight him."

"**I'm sure," **Harry assured him, kissing him lightly on the collar bone. **"I want him defeated more than I want to be the one to defeat him. Just promise me that you won't die."**

"I promise," Draco chuckled, tilting Harry's face up to give him a light kiss. "We'll all be careful. After all, we have you to come back to, don't we?"

"**You do,"** Harry chuckled. **"But I don't feel like sharing myself with others."**

"Good," Draco growled, suddenly pushing Harry back so that he pinned the raven to the bed. "Because Malfoy's don't share and I'm considered possessive even for a Malfoy." He was just leaning down to claim his mate's lips again when a sudden thump from Harry's stomach made them both freeze. The moment stretched until Harry suddenly burst into silent laughter and Draco released his mate with a huff.

"**Seems the baby is a possessive Malfoy too,"** Harry chuckled gently rubbing his swollen stomach. He chose to ignore Draco's mutters about the 'damn baby and its timing'. He knew Draco didn't really mean it.

"_Are you two quite finished?"_ Startled, Harry turned to see Snow sitting at their door, her tail flicking irritably. _"Octavius arrived half an hour ago and is waiting, not patiently or quietly I might add, in the main living area. Apparently Voldemort has finally shown himself. If we're going to fight him it should be now."_

"I guess I'd better go then," Draco sighed, stealing one last look at his mate. He could see that Harry was less than happy with the declaration but he still nodded and kissed the blonde one last time. Knowing that if he looked back he would never leave the blonde quickly grabbed his wand and rushed out of the room. Snow watched him for a minute before going and leaping into Harry's lap. She let him scoop her up in his arms to hold close to his chest without complaint. No matter how strong or tough he acted she knew that he was still very young and fragile on the inside. Hell, he was only seventeen after all.

"**You gave birth,"** Harry mouthed, rubbing her now flat stomach.

"_Yesterday,"_ she said, quite happy to have the kittens outside of her now. _"I thought I'd show them off in a couple days. They're to small and weak right now to leave the nest."_

"**That's fair,"** Harry said, finally releasing her with a tight smile. **"So now will you tell me why you went off and got pregnant anyway?"**

"_I thought it was obvious,"_ the sartix said snidely as Harry got out of the bed and went to put on some clothes. _"I'm your Bonded partner which means, as much as I may love your kids I won't protect them like I'll protect you. Therefore I decided to have my own kittens which could Bond with yours."_ Harry turned to stare at her, his mouth hanging in shock. _"Oh, it wasn't obvious."_ He shook his head. _"Sorry about that."_

"Mommy?" Harry quickly turned to see Kit standing at his door, smiling broadly. She rushed over when he opened his arms so that he could swing her onto his hip. With a quiet laugh she hugged him tight. "Mommy," she said again, startling Harry. She was talking!

"_Bout time,"_ Snow muttered, giving Harry a kitten smile when he turned to stare at her. _"She's been practicing for a week now but refused to say anything until she could say it to you. She honestly felt bad that you weren't there for her first steps so she wanted you to hear her first words."_ Again Harry laughed silently and gently spun his daughter around, inciting giggles from her. When the two had finally settled Harry put Kit back on his hip and slowly walked out of the room. Severus had said that he could still move around their wing of the castle so long as he didn't do any strenuous activity.

"Harry!" The raven looked up with a smile as Petunia raced over and enveloped him in a hug. He felt a little guilty about how little time he'd spent with his aunt over the last couple months but with the curse and then the attack at Hogwarts he just hadn't had the time. Not that she seemed to mind considering how she instantly started catching him up on all the latest gossip around the castle. Seemed some things never changed.

"Oh Harry, do you want to help me in the kitchen?" Petunia asked suddenly. "Severus told me that Tom's birthday was tomorrow and I still haven't made a cake. Or anything else for that matter." Harry winced even as he smiled at the thought. He knew better than anyone just how much Petunia loved to cook for birthdays. After all, he was often the one she gave the list of meals to so he had to make them. But she seemed genuinely excited this time so the raven nodded with a smile. Honestly, it would be good to be back in the kitchen.

* * *

><p>"Take that you twerp," Petunia cried, throwing another handful of flour. Kitsune shrieked with laughter as the white powder covered her before scooping up her own flour and lobbing it back at the older woman. Harry just chuckled silently as he tried to remain clear of the flour fight. It was still so strange for him to see his aunt acting like a carefree and happy person. She'd even been the one to start the whole flour war.<p>

Smiling at the two women the raven turned back to cleaning up. They'd managed to not only make Tom a cake (that the Dark Lord was going to kill them for. Honestly, why did his aunt have to make it sunshine yellow with unicorns and kittens running about it? Well, okay, the kittens were Snow's idea) but they'd also managed to make enough food for an entire party. Chips, crackers and dip, various fruits and vegetables with their own dip, ice cream of assorted flavors, a selection of sandwich meats and crackers, and a wide selection of drinks of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic types. All in all it promised to be a very good party. Based on the assumption that Tom didn't kill them all of course.

"Harry?" The raven looked over and snorted at the very white woman that he guessed was his aunt. Seemed Kit had pretty good aim. "Kitsune and I are going to wash up really fast. Do you want me to bring her to your room when we're done?"

"**Sure," **he said with a smile, putting his cleaning rag down. **"I should probably go lay down anyway."** Petunia nodded with a smile before picking up a totally white baby and making her way to the showers. Shaking his head fondly, Harry carefully made his own way to his room. Hopefully cooking wouldn't be placed under the (very long) list of activities that were to strenuous for him. If it was he was going to have a lot of people lecturing him when they got back.

With a tired huff Harry finally fell onto his bed, loving how the mattress instantly formed to his body, soothing away the aches he'd developed. He only had a couple moments of peaceful quiet when a loving shriek grated his ears and the bed suddenly bucked as Kitsune launched herself onto it. The raven growled playfully and tugged her towards him so he could proceed to tickle her as she squealed in laughter. Harry found himself laughing along as he finally scooped the baby into his arms and kissed her on the nose. He knew he was smiling but at that moment he couldn't imagine doing anything else.

"You two look so cute together." Still smiling Harry turned to look at his aunt but paused when he saw the tears in her eyes. She looked like she was trying desperately not to cry as she attempted to give him a watery smile that wouldn't have fooled a retarded amoeba.

"**What's wrong?"** Harry asked, suddenly worried. Kit picked up on her mother's worry and also turned to look at the woman she had dubbed 'Nana'.

"Nothing," Petunia said, even as she walked over to sit beside the raven. "It's just…hard to believe." Seeing the confused look in his eyes she tried to smile again. "I still can't believe that seven months ago you were dying in the basement because of Vernon. Seven months ago just looking at you made me loathe your very existence. Now look at you. You have a mate that loves you unconditionally, a beautiful daughter who would probably rip the head off of anyone who hurt you, and another baby on the way." The tears started spilling down her cheeks. "And more than that, you've let me be a part of this life. I can never - I can't describe how -" Harry just smiled and pulled his aunt in for a hug, letting her hide her tears in his shirt. He could guess at what she was trying to say but he also knew that words weren't necessary. When he thought she'd calmed down enough he gently pushed her back so she could see his face.

"**You **_**are**_** my family,"**he said slowly, wanting her to understand. **"Even when you thought you hated me I always noticed how you never actually raised a hand against me. You may have abused me verbally but it wasn't nearly as bad as Vernon and you never once caused me physical pain. And don't think I didn't notice how, when Vernon said I wouldn't eat for longer than a day, you would always leave some food laying around and never questioned where it went when I snuck it away. I don't care what you did under the influence of a spell. Hell, I have no room to talk after what I did to Draco and Kitsune. All I care about is what you do since the spell is broken. And all you've ever done since then is care for me and support me."** He smiled at her astounded look. **"I love you, Aunt Petunia."**

"I love you too," she said with a watery smile but this time the smile gained strength instead of fading away. They hugged again and Harry knew that somewhere his mother was smiling with them and probably wiping away tears of joy. However, eventually the hug ended and Petunia quickly stood. "I should probably get back to the kitchen before those strange elves completely rearrange my pots again." Harry laughed. Petunia and the house elves had a long standing war going on about how and where the pots should be stored. "Send Snow if you need anything," the women called back as she left the room.

"_What am I? A messenger kitten?"_ Snow groused, irritably twitching her tail.

'Well, you did deliver those notes to Draco for me back when I was avoiding him,' Harry reminded her silent, smiling at the glare she gave him.

"_I was hoping you'd forget that,"_ she grumbled, flopping onto the bed with a huff. The raven just chuckled and shook his head. Glancing down at his daughter he realized that she was sound asleep. Now that it was mentioned, he was pretty tired himself. The baby inside him also seemed to be settling down for a nap. So long as it didn't settle down on his bladder Harry was fine with it. Actually, scratch that, he was looking forward to it. Just like with Kit this baby was almost never still so anytime it let Harry sleep was a blessing.

'Goodnight Snow,' he said silently, leaning back to let sleep carry him away. He barely hear the kitten return the words before he fell into the world of dreams.

* * *

><p><em><span>Screams. Blood, Fire. Does death have a smell? It couldn't and yet Harry could still smell it. He was in a meadow and could feel it in his bones that a war was raging all around him but he couldn't see it. It was as though all of the fighters were invisible. He didn't have to look down to know he was knee deep in blood and gore so he refused to look. Instead he spun wildly in place, trying to figure out what was happening. Every time he turned he thought he saw one of his friends or family out of the corner of his eyes, fighting for their lives, but when he turned to look they were gone.<span>_

"_Harry!" The raven spun faster, trying to find his mate. The air still rippled with Draco's scream of his name but he couldn't see the blonde anywhere. "Harry, where are you?"_

"_Draco!" Harry called, his feet finally moving as he started running through the halls. Wait, halls? How was he inside? "Draco, where are you? Draco?"_

"_Harry!" The raven's feet pounded down the halls faster, flying by people locked in combat and dodging the stray spells being shot at him. "Harry, help!"_

"_Draco!" Harry screamed, finally crashing through a door just in time to see the blonde fall at his feet, eyes wide open in death. "No!" the raven screamed, falling to his knees and reaching out for his mate but before he could touch the body it vanished before his eyes. Everything vanished, leaving him stranded in nothing, looking up into the cold, red eyes of Draco's killer._

"_Harry Potter. I'm waiting."_

"**Draco!"** Harry screamed, jolting awake so fast he accidentally pushed Snow off the bed. He was just about to shoot out of bed when a hand fell on his shoulder. Quicker than thought he spun around, ready to murder the son of a bitch who had killed his mate but was instead met with the very confused face of said mate.

"Harry?" Draco asked, his hair still dripping from the shower he had just taken. "Are you okay?" The blonde grunted as he suddenly found his arms full of a clutching and sobbing mate. "Harry?" he asked again, very confused about the whole situation. Snow said the raven had been sleeping soundly since early yesterday evening. Such an assessment normally did not result in the raven waking up in hysterics. "Shh, Harry, it's okay," the blonde soothed as he gently rubbed his mate's back. "It was just a dream. It was all a dream." Harry shook his head even as his face remained buried in Draco's chest. Sighing, the Incubus knew it was pointless to talk about the mission to fight Voldemort, which had ended pointlessly. Apparently once old Snake Face had figured out that Harry wasn't there he had vanished so they just had to clean up a few rogue Death Eaters.

Neither man was aware of the two sets of worried eyes that watched them. Concerned silver met worried green but they both had to admit helplessness. They'd already stretched the rules by healing Harry. There was nothing they could do now.

"I'm sorry mom," Kitsune whispered, turning back to watch Draco scoop the distraught raven into his arms. "It will be over soon. I promise."

* * *

><p><em>Babble time: And…here we go. I think I'm starting to get back into the swing of things. I hope so anyway. (shrugs) I'm doing the best I can at least. Now, apparently I didn't make it totally clear in the last chap (which is weird because I could have sworn I did) but yes, Healer Kara was Kitsune from the future and Sesha was Harry's son. Now on to the reviews.<em>

_LOvE543:: Mind blowing is part of what I aim for with all of my stories. So glad I'm succeeding. And I can honestly say right now that I will not Harry off. Promise._

_IaminlovewithVegetaandTrunks: Yes, Kara was their daughter. Yes, she went back in time. I'm glad you liked the ending._

_BloodyRose90: Oh good, I'm glad I made up for THAT. ;) And yes, I got tired of Harry being the one told 'Don't give up'. Draco needed his own lecture. Sadly, I don't think you guessed right about the contents of this chapter but don't worry. I'm sure it will come in eventually._

_Leintjuhh: I'm glad!_

_Gmat15: uh…I never got around to them being pissed in this chapter so we'll get to that later. And yes, that was the future Kitsune._

_Angel N Darkness: I'm so glad you liked it!_

_Flower Deep: How was that a cliff hanger? I'm confuuzzled. I thought it was a pretty good ending. (smiles evilly) Just for that the next chapter is going to end in a very big cliff hanger. Oh I can't wait!_

_Well, that's that. Oh, just out of curiosity, I was wondering if you readers could just leave one review of this chapter even if you've never reviewed before. I'm trying to beat out my other Harry Potter story (which I think sucks) in reviews. It has about 250ish reviews and this story has 106. So even if it's just a single word like good, bad, stupid, awesome, sick, crazy, or anything else, could you please leave a review? You know, if it's not to much effort. Thanks!_

_Thanks for reading! TTFN!_


	19. Another Life

The bed shifted again, making Draco tense, but Harry quickly settled down, huffing in his sleep. The tired sound made the blonde grin but it faded as his thoughts resumed. It had been three weeks since the failed attack on Hogwarts and things were only getting more stressful; something Draco could have sworn wasn't possible. Harry was waking every night, screaming because of nightmares. He never talked about them but considering how he was keeping much closer to Draco and panicking when he couldn't find him the blonde could guess. Then there was the fact that the blonde himself was starting to hallucinate. He'd lost count of the times he'd walked into a room or around a corner and come face to face with either Death Eaters or a dead and mutilated Harry. Luckily the shock was always great enough that he never screamed; the visions gone before he can remember how to. But it left him on pins and needles which wasn't helping Harry's problems.

Of course, he and Harry weren't the only ones suffering. Dumbledore had resumed slandering Voldemort which meant Tom was taking the brunt of the attacks. Just a week before the older raven had nearly been killed by an extremely lucky Auror. Lucky because Severus hadn't been there to rip their head off. Even now the Potion Master was plotting how to kill said Auror while Tom plotted how to kill the Incubi healer that was making sure he actually stayed on bed rest.

Petunia, Hermione, and the house elves had degraded into full out war on each other. Not a day went by that at least one of the parties didn't do something that resulted in the other two parties screaming profanities and trying to rip out their hair. Four times now Draco had nearly been caught in food fights between the elves and the two females.

Lucius and Narcissa were coming under fire from their wizarding connections. The Ministry in particular was demanding their return to fight against Voldemort. Well, Narcissa was to fight Voldemort. Lucius was to go to Azkaban to make sure he couldn't aid the Dark side. When the two Malfoy's refused to return the Ministry had tried to claim all of the Malfoy assets, including all of their vaults and lands. This had left the elders in a legal battle to keep what generations of Malfoys had gained. More often than not they were forced to leave the safety of the Incubi castle to actually meet with people in the wizarding world. Every time they left Draco was positive that they wouldn't come back.

Sirius and Remus no longer lived in the castle. The werewolves had declared themselves a neutral party in the war and had fully withdrawn support from both sides. Any werewolf who chose to remain involved in the war, like Fenrir Greyback, were declared rogue and if they survived the war they would be hunted down by their own kind. This had forced Remus to leave Harry, the raven adamant in the werewolf not risking himself by staying nearby. Somehow the Incubi had managed to secure passage for Remus to America so the werewolf had left with Sirius who refused to let his friend run away alone. The blonde knew it was hard on Harry, watching the two men leave, but also knew better than to bring it up.

Long story short, the entire family was struggling simply to stay together and sane while Voldemort grew stronger every day. Not a day went by that they didn't receive word of a new attack or another war caused death. Harry has been inconsolable when they'd received word that Hagrid had been killed a few weeks before, torn to shreds by Fenrir and his pack. Luna Lovegood was in the infirmary, recovering from an attack from the giant spiders. The Weasley's were scattered as the Burrow had been destroyed. Every day Draco watched as Harry's eyes became duller and duller with each new update.

"Why can't it be easy?" the blonde sighed, letting his head rest against the cold window pane as a blizzard raged outside their bedroom. "It was all so simple. Find mate, claim mate, have kids, live happily ever after. Where did my life go wrong?" Harry shifted again, making Draco glance back but again the raven calmed down. Could everything be so difficult because it was Harry Potter who was his mate? After all, nothing about the raven's life could be considered easy. But if Harry really was the cause of all the strife in Draco's life the blonde wasn't entirely sure he would change anything. This wasn't the life he wanted but he wouldn't trade Harry for any other person in the world.

"_What makes you think your life is wrong?"_ The blonde scowled down at the kitten who had chosen to flop on his bare feet just then. They actually got along quite well now but it was still standard practice to scowl and hiss at each other. _"A life that is easy isn't a life worth having."_

"Really?" Draco drawled, turning back to the world of white outside. "What makes you say that?"

"_In an easy life nothing goes wrong. When nothing goes wrong you can't learn; you can't grow. Think about it, would walking matter so much if you didn't have to learn it? Would magic be so wonderful if you didn't have to practice? How many spells were discovered, not because some wizard spent the time to create them, but by accident? How much of this world and its advancements were learned by making mistakes?"_ She glanced up at him, her blue eyes glowing in the darkness. _"Would you love Harry as much if you hadn't had to work for him?"_ The blonde instantly opened his mouth to snap that, yes, he would have loved his mate regardless…but closed it without a sound. Would he really love and cherish a mate who had just taken his abuse of their hormones and fallen into bed with him? The Incubi inside him would have been satisfied but he probably would always wonder if his mate was with him because they cared for him or for the sex.

"I see your point," he said grudgingly, slumping against the cold glass. "But would it kill us for just one thing to go right?"

"_Maybe you need to make something go right."_ Before Draco could ask what the hell she was talking about a ball of floor rolled into the two of them, startling them both. When the ball unrolled to reveal on of Snow's kittens the blonde groaned as he smiled. He'd die before he admitted it but the sarti kittens were cute. There were five of them, all different colors. Secret, the black one, had already attached itself to Kitsune and was never far from her. Star, the light blue one and the only female, had chosen Draco as her Bonded and the two snobbish creatures were getting along great. The other three (the red Reno, blonde Cloud, and silver Masa) hadn't bonded yet but no one really minded. They all agreed that the three kittens shouldn't be pressured into choosing Bonded partners.

"_Hi!"_ Reno, the kitten who'd rolled into them, chirped before suddenly rolling away again, being pursued by a furious Cloud. Draco and Snow exchanged looks of equal parts fondness and exasperation until Reno yowled, his tail firmly lodged in Cloud's mouth, and Snow had to go sort it out. Draco was just turning back to the blizzard when two arms wrapped around his waist, making him jump. However, the lips against his neck told him that Harry was awake and he relaxed into the raven's arms.

"Did we wake you?" he asked quietly, feeling a sense of calm descend on him for the first time in weeks. Harry shook his head, finally coming around so that Draco could see him. The raven still looked tired but he managed a smile as the blonde gently pulled him into his lap and held him in his arms. For a moment grey eyes flicked to Harry's very pregnant belly and Draco wondered just how long the baby was going to make them wait. Already they were nearly two weeks past the three month mark. Narcissa had reminded both anxious parents that Incubi babies could decide when they were born and that the three month mark was just the time when they were fully developed. Babies like Kitsune, who were fully formed early, were very rare cases and the baby would only accelerate its growth if its mother was in danger. Harry had been in danger in Hogwarts so Kit had grown quickly but in the Incubi castle the raven was safe so the baby was taking its time.

"**I feel like a bloated whale,"** Harry sighed silently, tucking his head under his lover's chin. He elbowed said blonde when Draco chuckled but he couldn't deny the tiny smile on his own face. That line was so cliché, he couldn't believe he'd just used it.

"You don't look it at all," Draco soothed, one of his hands coming up to stroke Harry's hair. "You just look like my radiant and very pregnant mate. In other words, you are easily the most beautiful creature in the world." Harry snorted at the corniness of the statement but still smiled at the sentiments. Draco could be amazingly sweet when he wanted to be. Although, just then sweetness wasn't what Harry wanted. Shifting, he suddenly leaned up and claimed Draco's lips in a heated kiss that was quickly returned. In very few seconds the world faded away and it was just the two of them. It took nothing short of desperate need for oxygen to make the two finally unlock lips.

"**I want you inside me,"** Harry breathed against Draco's lips. **"It won't hurt the baby and it's been to long since we last had sex."**

"Sex demon," Draco chuckled, outright laughing at the glare he got for the comment. Okay, yes, it was his fault that Harry was a sex demon but that was beside the point. Considering how most of their race was he and Harry were virtually celibate. Well, granted, Incubi normally didn't have sex when the submissive was pregnant and Draco (and his super-sperm) had gotten Harry pregnant twice in less than nine months but still. Neither of them seemed to place much emphasis on sex and that suited the blonde just fine. It was how he knew that their relationship wasn't based on the sex but on each other.

Making sure that Harry was secure in his arms Draco picked him up and walked back to the bed. He kissed the raven tenderly as he lay him in the bed before crawling on top of him, mindful of his pregnant belly. One hand stayed by Harry's head, supporting most of the blonde's upper weight, while the other snaked down the raven's body, lightly skimming over most of his sensitive spots. In seconds Harry was arching into his touch, begging Draco to stop teasing, but the blonde wasn't having any of it. If anything his touch got even lighter, barely ghosting over the honey tan skin beneath him. He was so wrapped up in his torture that he was unprepared when the raven suddenly surged up, flipping the blonde onto his back. Before he could complain Draco's mouth was full of Harry's tongue and all of the fight went out of him. This was the first time that Harry had been the aggressor in bed and the blonde couldn't wait to see where it would lead.

"Shit!" he yelled, yanking his mouth away from Harry's when the raven, without any preparation or warning, fully engulfed his very hard cock. A small part of Draco's mind wondered if the sudden entry had hurt Harry and he struggled to open his eyes to check. He only managed a crack but what he saw made him groan and arch into his pregnant mate. There was a small amount of pain in Harry's face but the lust and love far outshone it. Draco had never thought that the sight of a pregnant Harry impaled on his cock would be an erotic sight but he was proved wrong.

Slowly, still trying to get used to the sudden fullness, Harry lifted his hips a little before falling back down, keeping the thrusts small and shallow. Draco's hands twitched violently, making him quickly grab the sheets beneath him in an attempt to control himself. He watched through lidded eyes as Harry gradually sped up, lifting himself so far that Draco almost slipped out before dropping back fast, taking the blonde ever deeper. One such drop had the raven suddenly arching and throwing back his head, making Draco smirk. Seemed Harry had found his prostate. After that Harry's pace sped up as he pounded that part of him again and again. Draco also started thrusting up in time with Harry's movements, determined to get as deep inside the raven as he could.

Harry's lips started moving, struggling to form words and failing miserably, but Draco knew what he was saying. His hands finally came up, settling on the raven's waist to steady him. "It's okay," he rasped, drawing those emerald eyes to his. "Cum for me." Whimpering, Harry obeyed helplessly, throwing himself back onto Draco's cock as he came violently, covering the blonde beneath him with sprays of white. The sight and feelings were enough to trigger Draco's climax and he arched into his love, pumping his cum as deep as he could, obeying the primal instinct to try and impregnate his mate even though the raven was already pregnant.

When his muscles finally unlocked Harry collapsed to the side, pulling Draco with him as the blonde was loathe to slip out of his lover just yet. The two Incubi lay on the bed, taking and giving comfort from each other as their breathing and heart rates returned to normal. Finally Harry sighed and snuggled into Draco's chest. **"I love you,"** he mouthed.

"I love you too," the blonde sighed, bringing a hand up to card through those unruly locks. He was just about to drift back into sleep when Harry suddenly flinched and frowned. "What's wrong?" The raven shook his head, clearly confused, and waited a moment before flinching again. Cramps. Just slight abdominal cramps that he'd been feeling off and on for the last couple hours but something was telling him it was important. Hadn't he felt something like this just before…

…he'd given birth to Kitsune.

"**Oh shit."** Draco blinked, wondering if he should be afraid. Judging from the look of panic on Harry's face, probably. **"Draco, I'm giving birth."** No, he shouldn't be afraid. He should be terrified.

* * *

><p>"Alright Harry, take a deep breath and then push." Panting, Harry managed a glare for Elssa but the old witch just smiled gently at him and waited. They'd been doing this for the past seven hours and his baby still hadn't been born yet! Compared to this Kitsune's birth had been a breeze! "Come on Harry, push."<p>

"_**I am pushing!"**_ Harry roared, trying very hard to not rip her head off. The baby had dropped and its head was resting right at the top of the birthing canal but now it wasn't moving.

"You're doing good Harry," Draco soothed, carefully wiping the sweat off of his mate's forehead. One of his arms was in a sling, having been broken a few hours before when he commented that the pain couldn't be that bad. Note to self: do not piss off a pregnant Harry who is giving birth. "Just a little longer and we'll be holding our baby." Harry glanced at the blonde, seeming to weigh his words, before managing and very weak smile and nod. Slowly, just in case Harry changed his mind, Draco reached out and started rubbing gentle circles against Harry's stomach. They'd discovered that the baby always calmed down when Draco was stroking the stomach and it held true now. The pain of the contractions slowly eased away before the baby suddenly slipped into the birthing canal. Yelping, Harry instantly resumed pushing, hardly remembering to breathe. Elssa continued to encourage the raven, sending out very subtle waves of magic to make sure that the canal wasn't torn as the baby was forced through.

"One more push should do it," Elssa said, hoping to encourage the very exhausted raven. Harry barely managed to nod before the contraction hit and he pushed with all his might. For a long second he thought the baby had froze again but then the body suddenly slipped from his and the room was filled with the cries of a very disgruntled baby.

Harry fell back with a gasp, his mind finally wrapping around the fact that he had just given birth again. Tears clouded his eyes as he blearily watched Elssa wrap the baby, vaguely remembering that Incubi babies didn't have umbilical cords. Soon enough the bundle was passed to Draco who beamed at the child before finally bringing it over so that Harry could see their son.

As soon as he saw the baby Harry knew he was in love. The boy's hair was as black as his own although it seemed a bit tamer, probably do to Draco's influence. His skin was also darker than Draco's taking more after Harry's honey tan. He tiredly opened his eyes to reveal silver eyes with just a touch of green buried deep within them. Seemed he was the exact opposite of Kitsune.

"**Hello Sesha,"** Harry mouthed, desperately fighting off the sleep that was trying to claim him. However, it was a losing fight and he knew it. Chuckling, Draco took Sesha back so that his raven could fade into sleep naturally. Kissing his mate on the forehead the blonde rose to show Kitsune her new brother. He didn't notice the two people outside the window, the elder girl teasing the fuming boy about how long the birth had taken compared to hers. They knew they weren't supposed to still be in the past but the Ministry could go fuck itself for all they cared. Their parents still needed them so they were sticking around although at this rate Sesha was going to murder Kit with his own two hands. Yet despite all of the differences between the four people they all held the same relieved thought.

Maybe things would finally start going right.

* * *

><p><em>Babble time: Another long wait and I apologize. The past few years I've been struggling with an addiction that has been killing me and I recently chose to stop cold turkey so I've been struggling to exist. I'd get on here, write a paragraph or two, then get off just to come back a few days later. But today I feel half alive again so I decided to try and finish. This is the result. Not sure if it's good or bad but this is what you get. Also, in a little more than two months I will be moving to college so everything is going to go up in smoke. Normally I'd promise to finish the story before I move but I honestly have no idea where else this story is going to go. It may end next chapter or go on for another year. (shrugs) Don't ask me. But now we get to have some fun! Because I don't really have any hard set plans for the story I'm going to ask your opinion. If you have any questions about the story like where is so-and-so or if you want me to explain my Incubi more just let me know. I'll probably work a few ideas or questions into the next few chapters…if I get any of course. You guys don't seem to like asking questions. Well, anyway, let's get to the reviews.<em>

_Sunshine: I'm glad you enjoy my story! I feel so happy to know that people are actually enjoying my work._

_BloodyRose90: Yeah, Harry's dream was a bit of a shocker to me to. Damn story. But your theory should be addressed next chapter. It was supposed to be addressed this chap but I sort of spaced it until just now. XP Oops._

_Aoifedb: Lol, thanks. I was sure I'd made it obvious that Kara was Kit but so many people asked. Oo, what is Dune?_

_YinKeket: Once again, I love your reviews. You seem to find amusement in the simplest things. And yes, at the end of the last chap that was the future Kit. End of this one too._

_Angel N Darkness: I'm glad you enjoyed the chap._

_Lady karayan crimson: I'm so glad you think so!_

_Well, remember to ask any questions or make any suggestions you want! And I'll try to update more frequently…unless I die from withdrawal which is probably impossible but it doesn't feel like it._

_Thanks for reading! TTFN!_


	20. Next step

Nervously, Harry tugged at the sleeves of his robe again. He was trying to keep calm, really he was, but that seemed damn near impossible. Despite his best attempts he couldn't remember ever being more nervous. He could remember being more afraid easily but not nervous.

"Harry James Potter, if you screw up your robes I'm going to kill you myself," Hermione scolded, batting Harry's hands away from the hem of the robe. "You've already torn it once and for Merlin's sake put your claws away." Blinking, Harry glanced down to see she was right; his claws were out. Taking a deep breath he focused until the claws morphed back into human fingernails. Yep, he was definitely nervous. His hands rose to run through his hair, a common gesture he used when nervous, but Hermione shrieked. "Harry! It took us hours to fix your hair; don't you dare mess it up!" The raven paused, glowering at his friend. She was taking it a bit far now. Before he could snap at her though Petunia called from somewhere and Hermione rushed off, leaving Harry alone again. The silence instantly crushed him and he flopped onto a nearby couch, not caring if it wrinkled his robes.

Sweet Merlin, what had he and Draco been thinking. They had just survived the two week long party that celebrated the birth of their two children. Incubi from all over the realm had come to pay their respects. Harry hadn't realized that children were so rare or honored among Incubi. Granted, he should have because all Incubi are male so it's not like they can easily have kids. Even when they do manage to have children with humans the Incubi gene is dormant, leaving their kids half demon but mostly human. The only way to have children was to find a human mate and impregnate them after their turning begins but before it finishes like with Narcissa. So it was a very big deal to introduce two babies to the world. It was an even bigger deal when the Incubi realized that Harry could continue to have children. He'd already threatened both the Incubi council and Draco that he was not going to be a brood mare, used only for breeding. Draco agreed though he wouldn't promise to not tease the raven about it.

A quiet cry had Harry standing and striding quickly to the nearby bassinet. Sesha lay inside, his face scrunched up but only giving off quiet whimpers. Harry and Draco had been worried that their son was mute when he didn't make any noise after his first cry but eventually everyone realized he was just a very quiet baby. Really, he was a lot like Kitsune. They were both very quiet but people hadn't noticed with Kit because of her telepathic abilities.

Smiling, Harry picked his son up and held him close to his chest. Instantly Sesha relaxed and grabbed small handfuls of Harry's robes, sniffling quietly. He was much clingier than Kit had ever been. Well, at least he was clingy with Harry. There was no question in anyone's mind that Sesha was very attached to his raven mother. Where Kit was more like Draco, proud and independent and determined, Sesha was very much like Harry. He was quiet, shy, and not exactly confident, always looking to Harry to see if he did something wrong. But Harry found he had no problem with that and was always there to comfort and support his son. It was actually nice to have a baby that actually depended on him.

Settling on the couch again Harry winced as the scar tissue stretched. He'd picked up more damn scars as an Incubi than most humans did in their whole lives with a few notable exceptions, Moody being chief among them. But this scar was different from the others. It was situated on his back, just above his heart, and was the only one he'd willing suffered. Now that he had two children he refused to ever leave them so he'd convinced Narcissa to use the cutting curse on him to negate the Death Eater's curse that had slowly been killing him this whole time. A different spell had protected his heart so he wouldn't actually die but the curse had still been very painful and Harry was very relieved that it had worked the first time as he wasn't sure he'd have been able to stand a second attempt. In fact, he was still wondering who had cried more, him or Narcissa.

"Harry?" Startled, the raven looked up only to beam as Sirius walked in. Being mindful of the baby in his arms Harry leapt to his feet and nearly tackled his godfather. Laughing, Sirius caught him and spun the two around, delighting in Sesha's shrieks of laughter. He could feel Harry mouthing words against his neck and smiled, knowing what the teen was saying. "Of course I came Harry. Did you really think I wouldn't? Remus petitioned the werewolf council for permission for the two of us to be here. So long as we don't participate in any war related activities on either side we can stay." More words against his neck made him chuckle. "Yeah, I missed you too Bambi." He finally put Harry down, backing up a bit to get a good look at him. "Ah, so is this the new baby?" Nodding, the raven let the older man hold the baby. For a moment Sesha pulled back, observing Sirius, before making an approving sound and cuddling into the man's chest.

"**He likes you,"** Harry said with a smile. **"That's great. He doesn't like very many people."**

"Really?" Sirius asked, holding the precious life close. "Well I guess that means he has great taste. Don't you little man?" Sesha just threw them both an annoyed baby look before huffing and closing his eyes, clearly intent on going to sleep. Both men laughed quietly before Harry led his godfather over to the couch so they could sit. As soon as they were seated Sirius held up an arm and Harry quickly followed his son's example and cuddled close to his chest. For a long time there was silence in the room before Sirius sighed and pulled backs lightly. "Harry? I brought you something." The young raven tilted his head in confusion. Sirius was being, well, serious. That almost never happened. His confusion only grew when his godfather reached into the jacket he was wearing and pulled out a battered and yellow looking envelope. He handed Harry the letter with such reverence that Harry was almost afraid of what was inside. That fear must have shown because Sirius tried to smile for him but couldn't quite make it. "I don't know what's in it," he admitted. "No one does. It's…well, it's from your parents." Harry's eyes widened in shock even as he subconsciously held the letter closer. "Remus and I were told to make sure you got this if ever you were to, you know." Harry could only nod, suddenly overcome with feelings. Luckily Sirius seemed to understand and stood up with Sesha, giving the raven some time to himself. Eventually Harry opened the letter with shaking fingers and started reading.

_Our Dearest Harry,_

_If you're reading this than your father and I are dead. I'm so sorry love. I hope you know that we would have stayed with you forever if we could have. I also hope you know that even if we are physically dead your father and I will never truly leave you. We're with you every step of your life and will never abandon you. Which means that when you finally speak those words that are dancing on the tip of your tongue, so eager to be said, we will be by your side._

_We hope that you have found love, Harry. Who or what that love is doesn't matter. Actually, it's sort of fun. James is insisting that you are straight but I can't help but picture you marrying another man. A man that will hold you close and protect you. Of course, if you're anything like me you'll accept his smothering for only so long before you kick him in the ass. Don't worry, it's a natural part of being a redhead or the child of one. Besides, I'm sure they love you just as much and won't mind._

_You have your whole life before you now and I'm sure that it's scary. So many things to fear, so much that remains unknown. But don't fear, my love, because you will not be going through that life alone. Your love will be beside you every step of the way and will face each trial with you. And never forget that we will be there too, watching you both and supporting you with our love. Remember, Voldemort can destroy a body but he can never touch love. And we will always love you Harry._

_The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death._

_James and Lily Potter_

Harry brushed tears away even as he smiled, holding the letter to his chest. He should have known that his parents would do something like this.

"Harry?" The raven looked up to find Sirius in a suit and smiling at him from the door. "Come on, it's time."

* * *

><p>"Quit fussing, Dragon," Lucius murmured, trying to calm his son's nerves. "Do you want to look anything less than your best for Harry?"<p>

"You know I don't," Draco hissed, even as he nervously shifted his weight again. "But what if Harry changed his mind? What if he doesn't want this anymore?" Lucius sighed. Maybe a blunter approach would work.

"Don't be stupid Draco, it doesn't become you." He arched a brow at his son's less than impressive glare. "Why would Harry change his mind now, of all times? He's accepted you as his mate. He's given you two perfect children. Compared to that this is a minor event." Slowly, Draco relaxed and nodded. He'd known it was stupid to worry but, well, he had and still was if he was honest. Still, he'd always trusted his father and he saw no reason to stop.

Just then the lights dimmed, throwing the room into darkness. All sounds ceased until the haunting sounds of a piano weaved through the shadows. Slowly a set of lights situated above the aisle grew brighter, revealing a sight that made Draco's breath catch. Harry stood there, dressed in simple white robes that matched the blonde's. His hand were tucked into the crook of Sirius' arm as they slowly walked down the aisle. Off to the side Draco heard Hermione sigh about the raven's hair but he couldn't see anything wrong with it. It was just as perfect as it always was, messy and uncontrollable and so totally Harry.

When the duo finally reached the blonde on the dais Sirius turned Harry slightly to kiss him on the brow before letting him go to stand beside his mate. Smiling, the two reached out and entwined their fingers before turning towards the eldest of the Incubi council. He beamed at the two of them and nodded once before turning to the assembled guests.

"As I'm sure you're all aware, we are gathered here today to bear witness to the marriage of Harry James Potter and Draco Lucius Malfoy. If there is any who has reason for these two not to be wed, speak now so that we may kill you quickly." Harry glanced at Draco and raised a brow at the comment. The blonde just shrugged and mouthed, 'Incubus thing,' back. Still, no one spoke out, not that that surprised Harry at all. "Very well then. Draco, speak your vows."

"Harry, you've always been an important part of my life, even if it wasn't always positive." The blonde smirked at the 'no duh' look he was given. "Before I knew you Harry Potter was my hero. After…well, you were the one person in the world I wanted to beat any way I could. I was as obsessed with you as much as you were ever obsessed about me. My only regret is that despite all those days watching you I failed to notice just how beautiful and amazing you were. For a long time I hated my Incubi heritage and myself but without it I would have never learned to see you as you really were. Now I can't imagine spending even a day without you in my life and I refuse to ever let you go. If you will have me I swear to be by your side, no matter the trial and I promise that you will never face the unknown alone." The blonde could feel Harry shaking as the raven obviously fought to not jump him right there and smiled.

"Harry, speak your vows." The raven shifted, moving so that he and Draco were facing each other. He'd thought for a long time on his vows, knowing that whatever he said would be the words that would bind them together for the rest of their lives. He'd struggled for many days, thinking up these elaborate speeches that didn't manage to convey even a fraction of what he wanted to say. But then he remembered words he had spoken to Draco in a garden not very long ago. They were simple words but they'd meant so much then and even more now. So taking a deep breath, he repeated them.

"**I'm always talking to you. When I reach out to hold your hand I'm saying I'm glad you're with me. When I fall into your arms at night I'm saying that I trust you to catch me. When I smile at you from across the room I'm saying that I love you so much that distance doesn't matter. And this," **he gestured around the room, taking in the entire wedding and all of their friends and family, "**tells you that out of everyone in the whole world I love and have chosen you."**

Now it was Draco's turn to vibrate with the effort it took to restrain himself from jumping his mate. He couldn't hold the tears in but wasn't ashamed when a couple escaped, especially when Harry reached up to brush them away. A quite sound had them both turning to the elder as they suddenly remembered that they weren't alone. He smiled at the pair and inclined his head. "There is nothing I can say that can beat such sentiment so I won't try. By the power invested in me I declare you to be wed. You may kiss your spouse, but please keep it PG. Your children are here after all." Everyone laughed, including the two new husbands before they kissed chastely. Cheers erupted around them as they held each other close and soaked up the last of the euphoria before turning around and allowing themselves to be swept into hugs.

"Think they're going to be okay?" Sesha asked, still a bit worried about his parents even as he smiled at the celebration that was taking place. The council was screeching at him and Kit to return to their proper time so they couldn't stay much longer. That didn't mean the worry faded.

"They'll be fine," Kit soothed, even as she struggled with her own worries. "We have to believe that. Otherwise all the work we've done has been for naught." The siblings glanced at each other nervously, knowing full well what she meant. They'd actively changed the past, trying to make things easier for their parents, but in doing so they might have damned their future. Still, they'd accept a damned future if it meant their parents had an easier present. "Let's go." With one nod they both shimmered out of existence…forever.

* * *

><p><em>Babble time: Am I alive? I'm not so sure. Damn addiction. Seriously, damn it to hell. Gah, I feel like I'm dying. You're probably all wanting to kill me anyway. So…yeah, what ever. Hope you like this chapter; it was really hard not to give away the fact that it was a wedding. Did I succeed? Anyway, review response time.<em>

_BloodyRose90: Uh…thought I explained that already. Oops. Anyway, the simple explanation is magic. A more complex one would delve into the diet of an Incubus and I really don't feel like going into it. Let's just say that they are close cousins of vampires and leave it at that._

_Jhnb: And so are you, my dear flamer. Seriously, would it kill you guys to actually sign in?_

_GeargieGirl999: I missed you! I'm so glad you like my story still. Ah, exams. Yeah, they suck. Well, hope you like this chapter and will keep reviewing, hinthint._

_The-Major's-Lieutenant: Yep, Harry needs Draco and Draco needs Harry._

_Flying Chrissy: I'm glad you like it._

_Lientjuhh: Thank you!_

_YinKeket: Lol, I'm glad you liked the whole house elves/Hermione/Petunia war. It was a fun to imagine. I agree though, poor Hagrid and Luna. I'm so evil to the characters. It's fun making Harry the aggressor sometimes. We'll discover Sesha's kitten next chapter. (aka, I haven't decided yet)_

_Blackbloodywolf: Thanks! I'm so glad!_

_Angel N Darkness: Whew, good. I was worried about that chap._

_Guest: Okay, no idea if this is all from the same person or not but there are three 'Guest' reviews so I'll address them all here. First post- Yep, 'yet' really is a hated word. Second post- I knew that one was easy to find! Thanks! Third post- …okay…I'm sorry, but I'm taking this as a flame. Besides how you're jumping to conclusions. Okay, so maybe I cast Molly in a bad light. I don't like her but I wasn't making her a bad guy. I know Ron is her son and she's gonna protest. That's why she just threw a fit and didn't start blasting Harry. Second, Hermione is trying to placate Harry, not really agreeing with him. Besides, she acknowledges that Harry is a DEMON now and not going to react like a human. So, yeah, doubt you'll read this because like most flamers you didn't sign in so I could tell you personally. Still, you blew it out of proportion and maybe I am too but there it is._

_DarkAngelLilithX: Ah, I didn't mean to make people cry! I'm sorry! Hmm…I'm gonna have to look up the whole Lightening and Serah thing since I've never played the game. XP And I call myself a FF fan. Anyway, I hope you keep enjoying!_

_And that's it. Two flames in one chap, awesome! I'm so glad I'm passed the point where they make me depressed. Anyway, just so you all know I'll have a friend post on my stories if I end up dying so if you don't hear anything you may assume I'm alive._

_Thanks for reading! TTFN!_


	21. Crash and Burn

"Mommy?" Smiling, Harry turned towards the voice only to grunt in surprise when he suddenly had an arm full of excited Kitsune. She instantly started blabbing away, using the baby talk that she knew he didn't understand but not caring. This resulted in the raven smiling indulgently and shaking his head. Yes, Kit definitely took after Draco far more than himself.

"Oh good, she finally found a different target to torture." Harry playfully scowled as Draco walked in, carefully carrying Sesha. The male baby perked up at the sight of Harry but didn't bother reaching for him, knowing that Kitsune wasn't in a sharing mood. The blonde merely smiled at his husbands scowl though he still shivered in awe of the fact that he could now call Harry that. He still remembered the look of shock on the Elder Incubus' face when he'd been told they wanted to wed. Incubus didn't have the same belief of bastards as humans did but it was still a generally accepted rule that mates wed before any children are born. That Harry was already a mother of two and not married…well, let's just say that if it had been possible the Elder would have suffered a heart attack.

"Mommy? Where go you?" Harry turned back to see Kit staring at him with furrowed brow. She'd just noticed that he wasn't wearing his normal muggle attire that he favored for around their quarters. Instead he wore long, heavy robes that she could taste the protective magic buzzing around. He also had on a few pendants that held protection and repelling charms. The truth and horror dawned in her eyes even before Harry answered.

"**To war,"** he said, not seeing the point in trying to cushion his answer. **"To fight. To kill. And maybe to be killed."** Draco scowled at him but kept silent. The blonde knew that Kit needed to understand this, no matter how much he wished she didn't have to hear it.

For long moments Kitsune stared at Harry, her eyes taking on a cold sheen. Barely six months old and she'd already mastered the art of masking her emotions. Or maybe it was just a genetic quirk of the Malfoys. Either way, Harry could only stare back, not sure what her reaction would be, if any. Just when he was about to open his mouth she sighed and nodded before tucking her head under his chin. Releasing a breath he hadn't known he was holding, Harry held her close, closing his eyes against the tears. Fingertips ghosted over his eyes as Draco walked by them, going to settle Sesha for a nap, and Harry drew strength from the touch. He still wasn't that happy about going out to fight Voldemort but at least he wouldn't be alone. Draco would probably curse him himself if he recommended it.

"Mommy," Kit whispered, burying her head farther into his chest. A glint from the shadows told Harry that Shadow was watching them both and was worried about his Bonded's emotions. Well, so was Harry. Slowly he started to move around the room, twirling slowly in an effort to coax Kit to sleep. He could feel Draco watching him as he danced with their daughter but couldn't find it within him to care. Was this how his father had felt whenever he went on Auror missions? Holding his loved ones close, wondering if he would ever see them again? He wished he could ask the man how he had done it. "Mommy," Kit whimpered, dangerously close to tears. A moment of inspiration hit Harry and he morphed into his full Incubi form. The baby didn't even notice the change but it was needed to have a voice. For a second he searched his mind for a song he could sing to help Kit fade to sleep. The answer came in a barely remembered croon that must have come from his mother.

"_**When you feel all alone**_

_**And the world has turned its back on you**_

_**Give me a moment please**_

_**To tame your wild, wild heart**_

_**And though you feel like**_

_**The walls are closing in on you**_

_**It's hard to find relief**_

_**And people can be so cold**_

_**When darkness is upon your door and**_

_**You feel like you can't take anymore**_

_**Let me be the one you call**_

_**If you jump I'll break your fall**_

_**Lift you up and fly away with you into the night**_

_**If you need to fall apart**_

_**I can mend a broken heart**_

_**If you need to crash then crash and burn**_

_**You're not alone**_

_**When you feel all alone**_

_**And a loyal friend is hard to find**_

_**You're caught in a one way street**_

_**With the monsters in your head**_

_**When hopes and dreams are far away and**_

_**You feel like you can't face the day**_

_**Let me be the one you call**_

_**If you jump I'll break your fall**_

_**Lift you up and fly away with you into the night**_

_**If you need to fall apart**_

_**I can mend a broken heart**_

_**If you need to crash then crash and burn**_

_**You're not alone**_

_**Cause there has always been heartbreak and pain**_

_**And when it's over you'll breathe again**_

_**You'll breathe again**_

_**When you feel all alone**_

_**And the world has turned its back on you**_

_**Give me a moment please**_

_**To tame your wild, wild heart**_

_**Let me be the one you call**_

_**If you jump I'll break your fall**_

_**Lift you up and fly away with you into the night**_

_**If you need to fall apart**_

_**I can mend a broken heart**_

_**If you need to crash then crash and burn**_

_**You're not alone**_

_**Let me be the one you call**_

_**If you jump I'll break your fall**_

_**Lift you up and fly away with you into the night**_

_**If you need to fall apart**_

_**I can mend a broken heart**_

_**If you need to crash then crash and burn**_

_**You're not alone**_

_**Let me be the one you call**_

_**If you jump I'll break your fall**_

_**Lift you up and fly away with you into the night**_

_**If you need to fall apart**_

_**I can mend a broken heart**_

_**If you need to crash then crash and burn**_

_**You're not alone"**_

"I think she's asleep," Draco said, carefully reaching out and stopping Harry in mid-twirl. Startled, the raven looked down to see his mate was correct. Kitsune was relaxed in sleep, marred only be the tear tracks on her cheeks. With a nod to Draco Harry walked over to Kit's crib and lay her down, carefully running his claws through her hair. For a frozen moment in time he knew that this would be the last time he saw her but he quickly stifled the feeling. No sense letting Draco know. Instead he took an eternal second to memorize his daughter's face for the last time. Then he took a deep breath and turned towards his mate.

"_**Let's go."**_

* * *

><p>"This is going to be bloody," Hermione grumbled, fiddling with her armor. She's nearly flown into a rage when presented with dragon hide armor, ranting about the cruelty to dragons. Charlie Weasley had had to take her aside and explain that real dragon hide was harvested from dead dragons. No dragon was tortured or harvested from when alive. That explanation meant that Hermione wasn't calling them all murderers but she still wasn't happy.<p>

"It's war Granger," Draco said simply, flexing his wings. "War is always bloody." He and Harry had taken their full demon forms, wanting to be ready at a moments notice. Most people were still shocked that Harry, the submissive, had wings of his own but they kept their opinions to themselves after the irritated raven threatened to use them for scratching posts. Still, when the two were together it was clear that Harry belonged to Draco. Not only was the blonde very possessive in this form but he was also simply bigger. His wings were bigger, his horns were longer, his claws were more pronounced. Hell, even his tail was longer. Of course, that wasn't hard as Harry still had the fox tail. Speaking of which-

"**Snow, pounce on my tail one more time and I'm mailing you to Siberia,"** Harry growled, flicking his tail out of the way yet again.

"_I'm a kitten; what were you expecting?"_ she asked, already eyeing his tail for another pounce. With a huff Harry flicked his tail, hitting her right on the nose.

"**A kitten raising kittens. The world will self-implode any day now."** Another pounce, another flick. **"Snow!"**

"Harry." Startled, the raven looked up to see Snape standing nearby. Tom was beyond him, going over plans with his followers. (Harry still thought they should come up with a damn name already. He understood their reluctance to be called Death Eaters but come on! Tom's Army just didn't sound right.) "Voldemort's men are starting to stir. Get ready."

"**I am ready,"** he reminded the human before launching himself into the sky to land on a pile of rubble. Yes, he could see the movement in the forest. It wouldn't be long now. Voldemort had the patience of an oyster but only when he needed it. If he didn't need to wait than he hated to do it.

Harry and his people were in the ruins of Hogwarts. Well, what was left behind. With an immense amount of power and some not so little help from the Incubi every inch of Hogwarts that was undamaged was transported to another secret location. All that was left was the rubble of the outer walls and Gryphindor tower. Obviously, the students and teachers had gone with Hogwarts but some of the seventh years and a couple teachers had chosen to stay and fight. Combined with the Incubi warriors (who were only there because Harry was sort of an idol to Incubi kind. Really, giving birth to two kids wasn't that big a deal!) and the remains of the Auror's and the Order they had a pretty powerful army.

But then again, so did Voldemort. He and his Death Eaters were well rested unlike Harry's army. They also had advanced freedom by being able to use Dark spells and having no respect for life. It was going to be a long and bloody battle and everyone knew it.

"We're as ready as we're going to be," Draco said, landing silently behind his mate. Harry nodded and leaned back, letting the blonde's wings wrap around him. For an eternal moment the world vanished and it was just the two of them. Green eyes mate grey and both knew the truth. "You're not going to survive, are you?" Draco asked. Harry didn't need to respond.

The moment ended as a jet of green light flew by them, missing their heads by centimeters. Evil grins spread across both faces before they launched into the air. With an inhuman scream they dived towards the advancing enemy, ready to end the war that they never wanted to fight in.

Spells flew past Harry in a myriad of colors. He didn't even try to identify them, knowing that none of them were as cute or harmless as a tickling or cheering charm. Instead he picked a body out of the mass of moving black and shot forward. Before the Death Eater could even realize they were in danger Harry had struck and was flying away, carrying the man's severed head. He watched as blood spouted out of the neck and bathed the people around. A cruel smile crossed his face as all of his demon instincts screamed in celebration. This was going to be fun.

* * *

><p><em>Babble time: So, anyone feel like killing me yet? Cause no, sadly, the addiction hasn't gotten around to it yet. It's great though, I'm now having days when I don't feel like I'm going to die. Granted, they are few and far between but they're there. Anyway, one last chapter to go and then the epilogue and then this story is kaput. Hopefully I'll have it out by the time I move to college. Let's get to the reviews.<em>

_Lupinesence: Thank you!_

_BloodyRose90: I'm glad you liked Harry's vows. I wasn't sure if I should reuse that part or not but I couldn't come up with anything new. And yeah, I liked the letter. II did that in my other Harry/Draco story too._

_Lexis-RandomThoughts Mo: …is that good or bad?_

_Zuma12121:I'm glad you like my story so much although I'm a littlie guilty that you sacrificed sleep for it. As a firm supporter of sleep and getting as much as possible you have just given me the greatest compliment possible. Anywho, here is the next chapter for you. Oh yeah, you spotted the '…forever' part. No, Sesha and Kit didn't die. Their future selves just ceased to exist. They changed the past so who they would have been isn't real anymore. So, yeah, that's the last we see of those two._

_Blackbloodywolf: I'm glad._

_Angel N darkness: I'm glad you liked it!_

_YinKeket:…as usual it's hard to figure out where to start with your reviews. I may do a one-shot of Sesha and Kit returning to their time…or maybe not. The epilogue sort of covers that. I'm so glad you liked the vows and the letter. And finally, yes, it took Hermione FOREVER to fix Harry's hair and she's sworn to never do it again._

_Well, that's all I have to say on this chap. Remember, only one more to go so if you have anything to say I suggest you say it quickly._

_Thanks for reading! TTFN!_


	22. Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep

**This is what I brought you**

**This you can keep**

The sun was just beginning to set when Harry finally touched the ground once more. He was breathing hard, his hand nearly glued to his side as that damn stitch in his side grew. In a moment of insane hilarity he was glad that Kitsune could not see him. She was a tough baby but even she would have nightmares if she saw him covered in blood as he was.

Putting that aside, Harry was having _fun_. It was a word he never would have thought he would use to describe a battle but there it was. For the first time he could understand why demons loved battle so much. There was something addicting, knowing that you had the power to end someone's life. He wasn't sure if it was the demonic influence that was warping his mind or a natural darkness he hadn't know he had but he had a new love of blood. The color, the scent, the taste, the warmth, everything about it made him admire the crimson liquid.

A sharp laugh above him made Harry look up into the sky. Draco was still flying about, cackling madly as he tore witches and wizards from their brooms to watch them fall to their deaths. Unlike his raven husband Draco didn't have a speck of blood on him. Seemed that Malfoy snootiness extended to battles as well.

The stitch finally fading, Harry looked around the battlefield. He had to admit, they were holding their own. Most of the humans were still alive and causing a lot of damage to Voldemort's troops. The Incubi were hardly scratched, swooping around in the air and through the shadows, leaving blood and terror in their wake. Considering the odds they'd been facing at the beginning of the battle the raven found himself immensely proud of his army.

That wasn't to say that there weren't casualties. He knew Narcissa had been struck down early in the battle. Healers had been by her side instantly but he still wasn't sure if she'd survived. Lucius was also badly injured and had to be transported away. Dumbledore had died hours ago, cut down by a lucky Death Eater. McGonagall was crippled after having one of her legs ripped off. Over half of the students who had stayed were either dead or to badly injured to keep fighting. Even the Incubi bore wounds though not nearly as many as the humans. If this kept going the so called 'Light' was going to be overrun because of sheer exhaustion. And the battle would keep going for one simple reason.

Voldemort wasn't there.

**This what I brought**

**You may forget me**

From the moment the battle had begun Harry had been searching for the snake faced bastard. He'd flown through enemy lines, flanked their positions, even shadow jumped to try and find his enemy. Finally he had to admit to a truth he loathed. Voldemort wasn't there. No doubt he was waiting in some far off location, biding his time until Harry and his army were to tired to stand against him. It was standard operations for a coward like him. Normally Harry would just hiss and rant about the man but this time he couldn't afford to. If they were going to end the war today he had to destroy the monster.

With a final glance over his shoulder to the battle Harry headed back to the ruins at a trot. With any luck there would be at least one portrait still hanging and with an extreme amount of luck it wouldn't be empty. If this was ever going to end they needed someone greater and more powerful than any of them.

"Ah Harry. I was wondering when you'd come to me." Smiling, Harry approached the painting, unsurprised to find Octavius leaning against the frame. "I must say, the red and wet look isn't really a good fashion statement for you."

"**Tell me something I don't know,"** Harry chuckled, brushing a blood soaked bang out of his way. **"I assume you know why I'm here."**

"Ah yes, you want me to fight on your side." The Son of Darkness shrugged in a rather bored manner. "Can't say I'm surprised. Every powerful Dark creature asks for me to fight for them eventually. I was hoping you'd be different. I've never involved myself in a mortal battle before. What makes you think I would come when you ask?"

"**Two reasons,"** Harry mouthed with a smile, tilting his head innocently. "**First, I'VE never asked you before. Second,"** a sword was suddenly in his hand, reaching into the painting and resting against Octavius' neck. **"I'm not asking."** Harry's eyes were hard and cold, any hint of playfulness or innocence long gone. **"Voldemort corrupts the Darkness and has taken the title of Dark Lord; a title that should belong to none but you. I have fought not only for myself and the memories of my parents but also for you, my true Master. If we are to win and if you are to reclaim your place we need your help. So help us."**

A long and cold silence stretched between the two, both staring into the others eyes, unwavering. Harry knew the was taking a huge risk, taking to the Son like that, but the battle had used up whatever patience he may have had. The only way they were going to win was if Octavius helped them.

A slow and cruel smile spread across the Son's face. For a flicker in time Harry saw his true face and froze in fear. How the hell had he been insane enough to threaten Him? But before he could retract his words Octavius vanished and a very cold hand fell on his shoulder. Already knowing what he would see, the raven turned slowly to face his Master. Even though the figure was cloaked in liquid shadows Harry could still see his face and shivered in fear but refused to back down. He had stared Death in the eyes three times now. The Son was simply Death's younger brother so while he could command Harry he could not force the raven to fear him.

"You would do well not to challenge me again," Octavius whispered, His words and voice colder than even the Dementors. His power was nearly suffocating and Harry could feel his knees quiver, demanding he fall to the ground in the face of such power. Stubbornly, he locked them, refusing to prostrate himself before the creature. "However, I can see that you have been acting on my behalf so I will ignore it this time." The hand was lifted and Harry found he could breathe again. He watched as Octavius leaned back, taking a deep breath of the smoke and blood tainted air. The shadows fell across His face, masking Him as they had always meant to. One last time He turned to face Harry. "You still have work to do, my most Faithful." That cold hand reached out one last time, wrapping gently around Harry's neck. "I would suggest you get to it."

**I promise to depart**

**Just promise one thing**

Cold seeped into Harry's neck, making him wince. He could feel the ice encasing his throat and constricting, slowly destroying his ability to breath. His body began to panic and his mind screamed that he should fight but by supreme amount of will his hands just twitched before falling still. Even as he fought with himself his bright green eyes held the hidden gaze of the Son. Despite not being able to see it he could feel Octavius smile and the cold began to recede. Eventually the Son released him and Harry was able to step back, his hand coming up to rub his still very cold throat.

"Don't die," the creature said, turning back to the battle but still focused on Harry. "I find you amusing and would hate to give you up to my brother just yet. Sibling rivalry and all that, you understand. Don't disappoint me, Faithful." Before Harry could answer Octavius had launched into the sky and was gone. A long, cold, silent second passed before screams erupted from the battle field. A smirk tugged at Harry's lips as he imagined everyone's reaction to the Son's appearance. That was something he would have paid to see. But alas, it wasn't to be. He could already feel his damn scar twinge, urging him to find Voldemort and end their war.

A nearly silent thump had Harry turning and smiling at Snow. She was in her tiger form though there wasn't much white fur left. In a way she looked more demonic than he did. The fact that she had an arm hanging out of her mouth didn't help matters. However, she spit the arm out before leaning over and licking him, spreading the blood and gore across his face. _"Are you ready?"_ she asked, her voice strangely soft and gentle. Her eyes were an electric blue, reminding Harry of when he'd first seen her all though months ago. A tiny kitten picked out to be his friend in a world where he had none. She'd been with him every step of the way, no matter if he had others beside him or not. And now she would be going with him to his death.

Taking a deep breath Harry nodded and let his hand fall from his throat. "Let's go."

**Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep**

* * *

><p><strong>This is what I brought you<strong>

**This you can keep**

The wind whipped by, making Harry close his eyes and bury his face in Snow's fur. He'd never know how she knew where Voldemort was. Actually, he didn't think she knew herself. It was just instinct and she followed it. Harry wasn't complaining exactly. He just would have preferred to have goggles or something to protect his eyes.

The darkness was growing thicker, pressing against the raven and tiger as they raced through. Sometimes they would see something flit past them but nothing bothered them or interrupted their journey. Every creature knew that the Son had claimed them both and none dared challenge Him.

"_It won't be long now,"_ Snow said, leaping over another log. _"I can smell his stench from here."_ Breathing deeply Harry nodded in agreement. Everywhere Voldemort went the stench of fire and brimstone followed. Despite being a demon the raven found the scent disgusting and it was growing stronger with every passing second. Yes, he was definitely close now.

They were running through a large forest just then. Harry vaguely remembered Hermione talking about it as one of Voldemort's possible hiding places. The Forest of Dean, she had called it. It was certainly an old forest, filled with ancient and mostly malevolent creatures. But the most malevolent was in the middle of the forest, waiting for him to come. Well, let him wait no longer.

A streak of green appeared, forcing Snow to veer to the side with a roar. Harry was flung off her back and slammed into a tree, crying out as one of his wings snapped. The pain snapped him into action and he fired the killing curse back, watching as one of the forward scouts fell silently. Leaping to his feet he turned back around only to freeze in fear.

"Snow!" he screamed, lurching forward as the word was ripped from his throat. The cold stung him again, reminding him that the healing Octavius had given him wasn't permanent and he had to use his voice sparingly. But those thoughts flew out of his mind as knelt beside Snow's fallen form. She was so still for a horrible second he thought her dead. But then she took in a shuddering breath and he managed to release his own. A tired blue eye opened and she tried to smile for him.

"_I've waited a long time to hear you,"_ she teased, wincing as his hand rested on her broken leg. She'd managed to dodge the killing curse but it had cost her her legs. _"We don't have time for this. Hurry, Voldemort isn't far."_

"I can't leave you," Harry breathed, tears welling in his eyes.

"_Yes you can."_ Those bright blue eyes held his and refused to give him up. _"You're not the scared little boy I first met. You are so much more now. I'll always be there for you but you don't need me anymore. You can stand on your own now." _She licked his cheek gently. _"Now go. And don't look back."_ With trembling hands and a crying heart Harry obeyed. Following his scar he ran into the forest, moving closer and closer to his final battle and his death.

And he never looked back.

**This what I brought**

**You may forget me**

"Tom!" Harry called, striding into the clearing. The Death Eaters around him reeled away, surprised by his sudden entry. The raven used that surprise to fire off an _Incarcerous_ that failed to catch Voldemort who dodged aside in time. And with that one spell all awareness was gone. As he was prone to do, Harry threw his entire being into the battle, focused only on the next spell he would use and the spell coming towards him. Later on he would be unable to tell anyone who he was fighting or any physical movements they had made like dodging or charging. He could vaguely hear the voice of his opponent roaring spells but the sound was distorted as though it was coming through water. That was a good way of describing it actually. It was as though Harry was confined in a large bubble of water where nothing could reach him.

But whether he could remember it or not, he was watching Voldemort the entire time and thus knew when the monster had left him an opening. Whether it was a planned opening or not he didn't know and truthfully he didn't care. A spell was on the tip of his tongue, a spell that Voldemort would never think he would use, a spell that would end this entire senseless battle. So with a final glare and flash of green eyes he pointed his wand at the misshapen body and spoke two words.

**I promise you my heart**

**Just promise to sing**

"_Avada Kedavra_."

Two words. Neither very long nor terribly impressive by themselves. Harry could think of so many other words that were so much scarier. So many words that would inject fear into their victim. Not this…amazing apathy he felt. Now the green light, that was different. There was something so malevolent about the light that he thought it was worthy of being the killing curse. Yes, the light was good.

Sharp pain lanced across Harry's chest, making him blink. Oh, was that red light that had come at him a spell? Yes, now that he thought about it that would be a spell. Hadn't he seen it somewhere before? Oh yes, he had. Snape had once demonstrated Sectumsempra for him. The light had looked just like that. And yes, there was the deep gash across his chest, just where it should be. Blood was streaming from his chest, painting his body a different shade of red. Hmm…pretty.

Taking a breath and not caring that he was breathing in more blood than air Harry looked up again. The Death Eaters were either staring at him in fear or running away. Voldemort's body lay where it had fell, sprawled all undignified across the muddy ground. There was no blood. That wasn't fair. Why should Harry bleed so much while Voldemort didn't bleed at all. Bloody ponce. Well, no, he wasn't bloody, and that was the problem.

Without a sound, Harry Potter-Malfoy crumbled and fell to the ground, laying in an ever growing pool of his own blood.

**Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep**

* * *

><p><strong>This is what I thought<strong>

**I thought you'd need me**

"Mommy?" Groaning, Harry struggled to open his eyes against the heaviness. After a few attempts he managed to crack them open enough to see Kitsune leaning over him. Her eyes were wide and full of tears, blood streaked across her cheeks. Somewhere nearby Harry could hear roaring and knew that it was Draco. Why was Draco roaring? Shouldn't he be there, waiting for Harry to wake up? Wait, was that rain?

Yes, it was rain. The memories of his battle with Voldemort returned and Harry realized why he hurt so much. His chest was still open and he was still bleeding. Without being told he knew that the wound was such that he couldn't be healed. His vision wavered and for a moment he could feel Death's boat and smell the river around him. Then Kit wavered back and Harry tried to hold on to his life. His eyes closed and he fought to open them again, not wanting to miss even one of his final seconds with his daughter.

**This is what I thought**

**So think me naïve**

Taking another rattling breath Harry managed to pry his eyes open again. His lips stretched into a smile, hoping to reassure Kit. She smiled back even though it was weak and watery. Damn her for being such a smart baby. She knew as well as he that he was in his final moments. But damn if Harry was going to leave without doing something he'd dreamt of doing from the moment he'd learned he was pregnant for the first time.

"Kit-sune," he rasped, wincing at his ragged voice. "I…love…y-you." Tears spilled over Kitsune's eyes as she leaned down and grabbed Harry in as tight a hug as she could considering her age. With a supreme amount of will the raven managed to lift his arm and card his fingers through her hair one last time.

"I love you too, mommy."

Harry's eyes closed again.

**I promised you my heart**

**You'd promised to keep**

"Mommy?" Knowing he had lost Harry struggled to open his eyes one last time. He managed a smile he couldn't feel and lifted his hand to brush along Kitsune's cheek. Her eyes grew wide in realization as her mother let go. Already he could feel the boat beneath him and the rocking of the river. There would be no coming back this time. One last word fell from his cold and still lips, tainting his final breath as the Darkness finally took him home.

"Goodbye."

**Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep**

* * *

><p><em>Babble time: And thus ends this story. So how many of you want to kill me? (ducks bullets) That many huh? Well then, in the interest of self preservation I will remind all of you that there is still an epilogue coming and it will answer any of your questions. It would help, of course, if you would ask me your questions so I could know what to answer. Anyway, here's the review responses.<em>

_BloodyRose90: Well, your instincts were correct here. So did I disappoint you with this chapter? (snickers) I'm so evil and it's so fun._

_Angel N Darkness: Aw, you're making me blush. I hope you liked this chapter too._

_MirrorFlower and DarkWind: I'm so glad you've enjoyed my story. Harry wasn't wrong, sadly, but don't cry just yet. Remember, nothing is absolute…especially in my stories. Kit and Sesha don't disappear, their future selves did because that future won't happen anymore._

_YinKeket: Yes, masks are a genetic quirk of the Malfoys. Sadly, it doesn't look like there will be a third child but who knows? In the spirit of my favorite childhood movie, "It could happen."_

_Well, that's all for now. The epilogue is already written, I just need to tweak it a little to fit in with the changes I have made to the story plot. I promise to upload the epilogue before I go to college so in about two weeks._

_Thanks for reading! TTFN!_


	23. Epilogue

Heaving a sigh, Kitsune brushed that troublesome bang away from her eyes yet again. There were days that she cursed her mother for giving her the messy hair gene but guilt always followed sharply on those curses. It hurt to say anything bad about her mother after everything that had happened. Even though it was many decades ago she could still remember the pain and fear and _knowing_ that the next time mother closed his eyes he would never open them again. Her father's screams and roars still echoed through her mind just as the smell of blood still invaded her nose. Every times her own eyes closed she could see the pool of blood that her mother lay in as he smiled at her, trying so hard to pull in that next breath and wrestle his eyes open one last time.

The bus suddenly began to slow, bringing Kit out of her nightmares. She glanced out the window and breathed in the tangy ocean air. The tour guide started prattling on about how they would have to hike the rest of the way to the cliffs but she couldn't care. Her destination was not the actual white cliffs, or rather her destination wasn't specifically the white cliffs. So with ingrained carelessness she stepped off the bus and started out. Behind her she heard a couple people call out to her but she resolutely ignored them. It was her first time back in Britain in fifty years so she had much to think about.

Compared to her memory of her mother dieing Kit's memories of after the battle were fuzzy at best. She could vaguely recall a short time when people had wanted to kill her father, claiming he had killed Harry. If she had not been in shock over what had happened she would have killed the accuser herself, baby or not. How people could see the amazing mate bond her parents had and still believe that one could hurt the other was beyond her. However, the accusations passed and the numbness set in. Despite her best attempts she could not say how long the numbness last. Maybe days, maybe years. It seemed like she would just come to terms with a loss she had received from the war only to realize that there was another she hadn't thought to think of before and the process would repeat. It was a vicious cycle and one she struggled with even now.

But the numbness had passed and she remembered how to live. Flashes of memory swept through her mind. How she had fought with father for permission to attend Hogwarts. Her amazement when McGonagall had told her she was the Head Girl. Her years spent training in many different career fields before finally deciding to work with dangerous creatures. The fight that had finally driven her away from her family and resulted in fifty years of her steadfastly avoiding the UK and everyone in it. The look on her grandparent's faces when she had disowned herself. So many memories and all of them tasted both bitter and sweet.

The crashing of the waves grew louder as Kitsune finally loped out onto one of the cliff protrusions. She glanced at the ocean beneath her before focusing on the cool white tombstone before her. It held a timeless grace she knew they would appreciate even as they griped about the cost. No doubt her father had picked it out. It had the Malfoy flare for simple elegance.

For long moments she stood before the grave, allowing everything to sink in. The sea breeze blowing through her hair, making that damn bang flop back into her face. The cry of the birds as they flew and spun around her. The bitterness of the ocean's scent combined with its might and everlasting roar. It was that day as it was decades before and would be decades after. A small bubble where time had no meaning and everything changed while remaining the same. Yes, they would like this place.

"Hello," she said quietly, kneeling before the tombstone. "Sorry I haven't visited before now. It took a long time to swallow my pride I guess." She chuckled bitterly at the thought. "Pride. Amazing how such a simple concept can cause so much grief, isn't it? It drove me away from my family and then kept me away so that I couldn't see you until now. Perhaps it's a good thing you're dead or you would surely slap me for being so stupid."

She talked for hours, filling the air with meaningless chatter, wondering why it mattered as they could not see that tears were falling from her eyes. What good to words do a corpse that was long dead in the ground? Especially when those words did nothing to lighten her own heart in any way. Pride be damned, she still should have returned before now. No, it never should have driven her away.

How many days had she spent doing exactly this; sitting and talking about everything and nothing. The sound of the waves reminded her of home with her family. Sesha who was always running around, yelling at the children to be more careful because he wasn't going to heal anymore of their scrapes and bruises. Octavius running through the portraits, scaring all of the painted subjects. Hermione and Petunia would be in the kitchen, arguing about something or other as the house elves worked around them, hoping the two females wouldn't notice and try to interfere. Just thinking of home cause Kit pain and she forced the thoughts away.

The sun was finally setting and she was out of words to say. Sighing, she leaned back and watched the clouds drift slowly by. It didn't look much different from the sky she had watched with her mother in the past. With a bit of imagination she could pretend that all her memories were just a bad dream and she'd roll over and her family would be there, smiling at her childishness.

But Kit didn't like lying to herself. Her memories were real and the scars they left could not be easily discounted. Imagination could take away their sting just like dreaming could but in the end she had to wake up and face them once again. So she took a deep breath and let it escape, carrying the words that would release her from the dream and allow her to wake again.

**Cover my eyes**

**Cover my ears**

**Tell me these words are a lie**

**It can't be true**

**That I'm losing you**

**The sun cannot fall from the sky**

**Can you hear heaven cry**

**The tears of an angel**

**The tears of an angel**

**Tears of an angel**

**The tears of an angel**

**Stop every clock**

**The stars are in shock**

**The river would run to the sea**

**I won't let you fly**

**I won't say goodbye**

**I won't let you slip away from me**

**Can you hear heaven cry**

**The tears of an angel**

**The tears of an angel**

**Tears of angel**

**The tears of an angel**

**So hold on**

**Be strong**

**Everyday**

**Hope will grow**

**I'm here**

**Don't you fear**

**Little one**

**Don't let go**

**Don't let go**

**Don't let go**

**Cover my eyes**

**Cover my ears**

**Tell me these words are a**

**Lie**

"Kit?" She looked up and smiled sadly as her father landed beside her. No words were spoken but none were needed just then. For a moment in the endless time they just stood together, regarding each other silently. His long blonde hair and deep grey eyes, unchanging in the face of the centuries. Her own white hair and green eyes, so hauntingly similar to her mother. It was Kitsune who finally turned back to the stone, patiently waiting to see what he would say.

"I didn't think you'd ever come back," he said quietly, seeming to regret breaking the silence but unable to stop himself.

"I wasn't planning on it," she replied, not getting up off the ground. The wind whirled around them, making Kit grumble about how much time she'd spent trying to tame her hair that morning which drew the ghost of a smile to her father's face but it died a quick death. For a while she wondered if her father would speak again but then he was sitting beside her, examining the stone just as she was.

"You seem to be doing well," he said quietly. "You've become pretty famous. Lucius was boasting for months when you tamed that grall."

"Please," she snorted. "The grall was a cakewalk compared to convincing that Northern Ridgeback not to toast an entire village. To tame a grall you just need to be faster and stronger. To convince a dragon you have to be smarter and that is pretty damn hard." She let her words die in the air before sighing. "Fifty years and you still can't just come out and say what you want to say. Maybe I shouldn't have come back."

"You came back to visit the grave like you should have done long ago," Draco snapped. "You didn't come back to try and reconcile with me."

"Then why did I stay here at the grave instead of leaving after paying my respects?" Kit asked, her eyes never leaving the stone. "Why didn't I storm off as soon as you landed and ignored you as I've been doing for the past fifty years? Face it father, you don't know what I want or do anymore. I wonder if you ever did." The words were a low blow and she knew it but she couldn't bring herself to care. She and Draco had traded to many harsh words throughout the years for her to care about a low blow. Merlin knew, she received them all the time.

Silence rushed back in but this time Draco knew the meeting was over. His wings rustled irritably at the thought of his daughter dismissing him but the irritation only lasted a moment. Fifty years was a long time, even to Incubi, and he desperately did not want to fight anymore. "The house is still open to you," he said at last, turning away. "We all want you to return." She nodded to show she'd heard but otherwise didn't move. With a sigh Draco launched back into the sky and allowed the thermals to carry him away.

Kit was left alone on the cliffs, staring at the stone but not seeing it at all. If she was to be honest she was tired of traveling and wanted to go home. Even after all this time it was her favorite place to be because it was where her family was. But despite her father's words she still hesitated to return to a place she was no longer welcome at.

"What do you think Secret?" she asked, knowing the sartix was behind her. He had never been as visible as Snow, choosing to follow his Bonded from the shadows, but she always knew where he was.

"_I think you need to either shut up your mind or your heart. They're telling you two very different things and you can't decide as long as both are talking. Of course, you know which one I'd prefer you listen to."_

"My heart. You always want me to listen to my heart. But my heart's been wrong before." She heard Secret's tiny snort and smiled dimly. He hated when he reminded her of that. That didn't mean she had less of a choice to make.

Twilight was nearly over when she finally sighed and got to her feet. She gently touched her fingers to her lips before brushing them to the stone. "Goodbye Aunt Hermione," she whispered. She was probably the only one to understand why Hermione had chosen to remain mortal and eventually pass on. It hadn't surprised her to hear of her aunt's death all those years ago, just months after her self imposed exile. After all, the lady was over two hundred years old. She had to go eventually.

Goodbyes said, Kit spun on her heel and walked away. She knew her father had probably gotten home by then and told everyone that he'd seen her. No doubt Harry, having been saved at the last moment by Fawkes all those decades ago, would fly out as fast as he could to catch her. She wasn't entirely sure she'd let him.

Deep within her she knew that things should have been different for her. Harry and Draco had told all their children but Kit and Sesha most of all about how the future Kitsune and Sesha had saved Harry's life. They never said anything but Kit and her brother knew that those future thems had done other things, things to make life easier for their parents. They also knew that those things had changed what should have been and gave them the future they faced now. They just couldn't decide if it was a better life or not.

Maybe that was why Kit had such a hard time deciding what to do. Part of her still wished to stay and be with her family while another wished for her to escape. But that was a decision she would make when faced with it. She would either see her mother swooping down and allow him to catch her in his arms or she would apparate away again and continue her solitary existence. Either way the problem would be solved and she would keep living. That was all anyone could ask of her.

It was all she could do.

* * *

><p><em>Babble time: And thus it ends. Not totally how I imagined it ending but there you go. Anyway, the song from the last chapter is 'Prelude1221' and the song from this one is 'Tears of an Angel'. Thank you all for putting up with me throughout this story and celebrate that I finished before college…even if I didn't get it posted before college. That's right, I'm in college now so it will be a long time till I start writing again. Sorry guys. I already have another Harry Potter story planned…actually I have two of them. One is a Harry/Voldemort/Lucius and the other is a rather funny one called 'Everybody loves Harry…and that's the problem!' Anyway, I'll start posting them once I get settled in to college life. Now let's get to the reviews._

_BloodyRose90: Lol, sorry about that. Sometimes people just happen to be right. Glad I didn't disappoint though. That would have made me sad. And I did add a disclaimer here (thanks for reminding me.)_

_Guest 1: You wanted more, you got more…just maybe not quite what you wanted. Sorry about that. I'm really glad you liked Octavius though. I wasn't to sure what to think of him when he first showed up but now that I know his purpose I like him too._

_Angelic Abomination: Thank you so much! I'm so glad people agree with me on the flamers. Lol, I don't try to make people cry but I do enjoy stirring up emotions so glad to know I succeeded._

_Cherri101: Umm…because I thought it was a good plan? Lol, don't freak, as you can see, Harry is fine._

_Draco'sGirl98: I promised an epilogue and I delivered it. Nope, no sequel; I think this wraps it up perfectly because people can decide if the story ends happily or sadly by themselves._

_NoirxAnge:…well, I'm sure you know the answer by now so I hope you don't mind if I skip you._

_Guest 2: Yes, the story is done…and I HOPE the epilogue is fine. I'm so glad you liked this story even though I still don't like parts of it. I'm sorry I made you cry but I'm super happy that you liked it regardless._

_DarkFlameInfernal: (pats back) Don't worry, it's not the end yet._

_DJinTheHOUse: Lol, yes, my stories do seem to suck readers in and not let them go. Glad to see it's still happening._

_Well, that's all I have to say. If any of you lovely readers could go to my poll and vote I'd appreciate it; I need the data to start writing "Everybody loves Harry…and that's the problem!" Also, please remember that I am in college and therefore may not write as much but I still want to keep writing and putting my stories out there so keep an eye out for me._

_Thank you for reading! Goodbye!_


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